We belong to each other, for I love you, as you love me
by IcedLady
Summary: Hashirama and Tobirama have a fierce and powerful little sister who has always been pampered by her brothers. But she can't exactly tell them about her heart's newest desire. Uchiha Madara. Rated T for little things here and there, and mainly because I'm paranoid. Have fun!
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! This new story is dedicated to Arianna Le Fay who helped me to create the OC.. Well, the OC is hers since she provided me with the details XD Arianna, I really hope that you like this one, and sorry, I know I took a lot of time.**

 **So, on with the story!**

* * *

Tobirama was annoyed.

That was clear to the members of the Senju Clan when they saw the fire in his crimson eyes and the stiff way he walked past them. That would not be much different than any other time they saw him but living with the young man made them notice the slight differences in his moods. As for the reason why he was annoyed, the clan members knew only two persons could get him in such a mood.

Senju Hashirama, his elder brother, and Senju Yukihime, his younger sister.

Everyone knew of the little fights the three siblings had with each other.

Hashirama and Tobirama often bickered since they both had a very different view on things compared to each other. Hashirama was more outgoing while his brother was always careful around people. Still, the elder Senju knew that he was the one who could push Tobirama into losing his stiffness, while Tobirama was the one who held him back in case he went overboard. Despite their clashes, they were brothers and they stood together, no matter how irritating or strict the other would be.

On the other side, whatever happened between Tobirama and Yukihime was a completely different story. It was true that Tobirama loved his sister a lot and at times, the two of them would keep each other company when Tobirama was not out on the battlefield. They liked the silence that surrounded them whenever they sat together after a long and tiring day. Sadly, the silence almost never stayed for long. The two of them would find something to debate on and most of the time, their debate ended in a rough and ruthless spar which was always stopped by Hashirama before either of his siblings got badly injured.

As for the fights between Hashirama and Yukihime, they were non-existent. Perhaps a little one-sided shouting match from the girl or a tiny disagreement, but the two of them never got in fights like those between Tobirama and Yukihime. Hashirama would always back off before Yukihime's temper could get out of hand and then he would try another approach which would lead to the two of them to reach to a conclusion without anyone getting bloody. Normally, he would have continued to push forward- which would get Yukihime hungry for his blood- but back when Kawarama was still alive, he had taught his eldest brother not to push at Yukihime and to instead, try a different angle of getting to her.

That was how they lived with each other.

"Where's my sister?"

The young maid froze and a shiver ran up her spine. She turned around immediately but she kept her eyes lowered. "Yukihime-sama is in her personal office, Tobirama-sama", she said in a shaking voice. She held her breath until the young Shinobi was no more in the room. He definitely was a handsome man but no one else scared her so much.

Tobirama headed to the private and tiny building was belonged to his sister. He rapped his knuckles on the door but there was no answer. He rolled his eyes, knowing that Yukihime must have probably buried herself in her books again. He opened the door silently and he entered the messy single room. Books and papers were covering every surface of the wooden flooring, the blue couch was buried under a mountain of tumbling books, the only desk was in a similar state and the chair was covered with clothes carelessly thrown on it. His gaze swept the room and he nearly rolled his eyes when he saw the girl sitting cross-legged on the floor with a book in her lap, another opened in front of her and papers all around her. He watched as she nodded to herself, mumbled something and then scribbled a few notes on her papers.

"You are still terrible at keeping aware of your surroundings".

Yukihime jumped with a yelp and she clutched her book close to her chest, her eyes wide from the fright she got. "Don't scare me!"

"What if I was an enemy? You would be dead by now", Tobirama scolded and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"You're not, so shut up", she shot back with a cold glare. "I believe my clan is strong enough to kill anyone who tries to get close to us".

"Father summoned us".

"Then why the annoyed face?"

"The mess you made in my room".

Yukihime's mouth twitched at the corners. "Oh". She knew he hated it whenever she messed his things up and it never failed to get a rise out of him. "Let's go see the old man then".

Tobirama walked behind her to keep her in his sight at all times. Whenever they walked together, he never allowed her to walk behind him. He always kept her in front of him and rarely next to him. Some said it was his brotherly instincts, others said that he was wary of her, despite the two of them being siblings. It was not long before they entered their father's little office.

Butsuma stood up as soon as his two children came in. He noticed the way Yukihime narrowed her eyes when he strapped his sword to his waist. "Hashirama went to meet that boy again. It's time we intervene", he said.

"What's wrong with Hashi-nii-San having a friend?" the young girl questioned as a light frown made its way on her pretty face.

"Do not question me, Yukihime".

Tobirama saw his sister lowering her gaze instantly. Her body stiffened and her hands were in tight fists by her sides. He could feel the anger bubbling inside of her as she tried to keep it at bay.

"Get ready and meet me at the entrance in five minutes", Butsuma ordered and the two youngsters left immediately.

The three of them reached the gates at exactly the same time and within the time limit. Butsuma set off and his children flanked his sides as they headed towards the river. They soon found Hashirama walking towards the river bank where another boy mirrored him on the other side.

Yukihime squinted her eyes at her brother's friend. He had dark eyes and his long raven black hair had a blue tint to it. He was quite handsome, she added to herself.

Madara looked at the stone he caught in his hand and his eyes widened.

 _'Trap, scram'_

"Sorry, Hashirama", he said with a strained smile. "There's something I need to do. I have to leave".

"Oh", Hashirama said to play along when he saw his friend's similar warning. "I'll see you some other time".

The two of them locked eyes for one last time before they shot off in opposite directions. However, two persons emerged from Madara's side and they met three others from Hashirama's side.

"It seems like we're on the same page", Tajima started and he closed his hand over the hilt of his sword. "Senju Butsuma".

"And Tobirama, I believe", Izuna added.

"Indeed, Uchiha Tajima", Butsume replied with a similar stance.

"And Izuna, right?" Tobirama said next to him. Behind him, Yukihime narrowed her eyes at the Uchiha clan leader.

Madara watched wide-eyed as his father crossed swords with Butsuma while Izuna went against Tobirama. The third person on Hashirama's side stayed behind but she followed both fights closely, ready to intervene should her father or brother be injured.

His heart got caught in his throat when Butsuma aimed for Izuna while Tajima threw a kunai at Tobirama. "Stop it!"

He threw the stone he had and Hashirama did the same, each of them successful in saving their respective brothers. The two of them stood in front of each other with their families behind them. Madara growled when his father took a kunai out swiftly but Hashirama's sister was quick enough to react and she threw a shuriken, knocking the weapon out of Tajima's hand before he could throw it. She took her place next to Tobirama and she stood with her head held high.

"Stand down", she growled and Madara saw the wild fire dancing in her dark chocolate eyes. It was the first time that he saw her so close and despite being Hashirama's and Tobirama's sister, she looked quite different. Sure, her eyes were like Hashirama's and her hair was white like Tobirama's but the white mane had a silver tint to it. Her skin was a dusky golden color and compared to the three men close to her, she had a smaller frame. Perhaps she took after her mother, he thought as he studied her heart-shaped face. Her nose was small and pointed, her lips were full and unpainted, and her eyebrows were thin and elegant. She hardly looked like a Kunoichi who has already been on the battlefield several times.

"I'll never forgive anyone who tries to hurt my little brother", Madara said lowly, his eyes not leaving that of his close friend. "No matter who they are".

"Same here", Hashirama said in a similar tone.

"Hey, Hashirama, maybe it just isn't possible for us to reach that dream of ours", Madara said softly with his eyes shadowed by his dark hair.

Hashirama was stunned. "Madara, what are you..?"

"It may have been brief but it was fun".

Three against four", Tajima said. "Can we take them, Madara?"

"No", his son answered immediately. "Hashirama is stronger than me and they have a medic on their side. If we fight, we'll lose".

"There's someone stronger than you?" Izuna asked in wonder.

"Let's retreat".

"Madara!" Hashirama called, still trying to hold on to his best friend. "You really haven't given up, have you?!"

"You are Senju", Madara said firmly with his back turned. "I truly wished it wasn't so. My brothers were killed by the Senju, and yours by the Uchiha. There's no reason for us to show our real feelings to each other". He felt Hashirama breaking. "Next time we meet will most probably be on the battlefield, Senju Hashirama".

Madara turned his face to his enemies and they froze when they saw the Sharingan blazing.

Yukihime felt her knees weakening at the intense gaze and something dropped in her stomach. She forced her body to hold on but as soon as the Uchiha were out of sight, she dropped down on her knees, the water seeping in her bandages and her shoes.

"Hime!" Hashirama called and he hurriedly knelt in front of her while holding her by the shoulders. However, her gaze never left the place where Madara was previously standing before they left. Her throat constricted at the thought of the young boy who was older than her by a few years.

"I don't understand him", she said softly. "There was anger in his eyes. I felt it. But there was love as well. Such deep and fierce love".

Hashirama exchanged a look with Tobirama.

Yukihime should not have come here with them.

* * *

 **The main pairing is MadaraOC but I pretty much think you should expect a different ending :P**

 **~IcedLady~**


	2. Chapter 2

Yukihime frowned in concentration as she healed her comrades one after the other. There was enough to have her running from one to the other while trying to help everyone at once. The slugs she summoned were greatly helping her but still, the tension she felt did not fade away. Her brothers were out there on the front-line to battle the Uchiha and although she knew that they would both be safe, she could not help but worry for them. As she usually did at the beginning of every battle, she fought with them to allow her to get to the front to assist them but they stayed firm on their decision of keeping her at the back. Sure, she was the best medic they had but she was powerful enough to fight along with them. Still, nothing would budge them.

"Yukihime-sama!"

The warning had the white-haired girl looking up at once and her eyes widened when an Uchiha dropped from above with his sword poised to kill her in one blow. Yukihime threw herself backward and the blow missed her by inches. However, her dark eyes widened when the Uchiha twisted his hand and his sword went straight for the injured Senju she was tending to before he attacked. Yukihime launched herself at her enemy and she pushed her weight on him to throw him off-balance while she pulled the injured Senju out of the way and she placed him in the care of the other medics before facing the smirking Uchiha. She felt the blood running down her arm and onto her fingers before dripping on the ground.

"I wonder what would your brothers say when I'm going to kill you right here", he sneered.

"Kill me? Think again".

With a wide grin, Yukihime pumped chakra into her injured hand and she threw a punch at the man. His eyes widened when he was sent flying back in the middle of the battlefield. The Kunoichi smirked and she jumped off towards him and she drop-kicked him right between her brothers and their respective opponents. She chuckled darkly when she felt a crater forming under the dead body and then the ground cracked and crumbled from the impact of her attack.

"Hime!"

"I'm fine", she assured a baffled Hashirama.

"You could have called one of us", Tobirama said with a frown. "You destroyed the terrain".

"I'm alive, okay? I'm not a kid anymore. I can handle it", she told him and then turned to a wide-eyed Madara. "Keep your men away from me. I hate it when someone disturbs me when I work".

"You got hurt", Tobirama said and Hashirama gingerly took his sister's arm to look at the deep cut.

"It's nothing I can't handle", she assured them with a roll of her eyes, "Besides, we're in the middle of a battle here. Go back fighting and I'll head back to the camps".

Without wasting time, she ran back to the sidelines while avoiding hits and keeping out of the way.

* * *

Yukihime pulled her hair up in it's usual ponytail and she wore her headband which held her bangs back. She was wearing her armor which looked like the ones her brothers wore but her's was a deep purple. Once she was ready, she headed out and she joined her clan, standing next to Hashirama. Her clan was meeting up with the Uchiha to introduce the two new clan heads.

Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.

The two young men faced each other and next to them, their brothers stared each other down. Yukihime kept a careful eye on both parties to make sure that no one tried to start a fight unnecessarily.

Later that day, the white haired girl headed to the forest alone like she did regularly and she soon found her spot on a small hill which overlooked the Senju camp on one side and the Uchiha on the other. The two of them were at a safe distance from each other and should anything happen, Yukihime would be able to warn her brothers in time.

A shiver ran up her spine and she froze when she felt a very familiar presence behind her. Madara walked around and he lowered himself in a sitting position next to her with a reasonable distance between them.

"Relax", he said in a deep voice as he gave her a quick look. "I'm not going to attack you. We're not currently fighting and you have no weapons to defend yourself".

Yukihime scoffed, keeping her eyes trained on the view she had. "You know I'm not defenseless. I fight better with my bare hands than with weapons".

"Tobirama would be furious if he knew you're here with me".

"Oh, he would", she replied with a nod. "But I know he trusts that I'll kick you into next week if you tried anything".

Madara could not help but chuckle. "A Senju does not interest me, much less the sister of Hashirama".

"That hurts", she said and faked a pout.

A comfortable silence followed and neither tried to break it. They were both surprised that neither was already trying to kill the other. But still, it was good to know that they could relax despite being in the presence of an enemy. Yukihime knew that Madara could easily kill her but somehow, she felt like she could trust him at the moment. Perhaps this was what Hashirama felt when he met the Uchiha.

Next to her, Madara was having similar thoughts. He could kill Yukihime with one look but she would not go down without a fight. She was Hashirama's sister after all. He knew she was powerful and although he was much stronger than her, he was certain that she would be able to hurt him some before going down. But now, none of these mattered because they were not interested in fighting each other.

All they wanted was some time alone.

* * *

Dark eyes widened in shock.

"What?" she breathed out.

Hashirama threw a glance at Tobirama who was sitting next to him with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes met that of his brother before they went back to keeping an eye on the Senju girl.

"A marriage proposal came from the Kirisaki clan for you", Hashirama repeated carefully. "The clan head is asking for your hand in marriage. He is around Tobirama's age and he seems to be a promising leader. He's a really nice man, Yukihi-"

"-I don't care!" the girl growled and she shot up from her seat. "I'm not getting married to a guy I don't even know".

"Yuki-"

Hashirama gave a heavy sigh when Yukihime left with her temper flaring.

"I told you she's most likely getting married to her books", Tobirama said, causing his elder brother to whine pitifully. "I'll go after her".

"No", Hashirama said with a shake of his head. "Let her cool off for a bit. Besides, I need to discuss a few things with you".

Yukihime growled low in her throat as she stormed out of the Senju camp. No one tried to stop her and she headed for the hill where she knew Madara would be. Indeed, when she arrived at her favorite spot, the Uchiha clan leader was there, lying down on the grass with his eyes closed. He smirked when he felt the girl plopping down next to him as anger rolled off of her. Without even asking what happened, she told him everything. She knew it was dangerous to spill her heart out to an enemy but at the moment, she didn't care.

"Are you even listening?!"

Madara sat up slowly, enjoying the rise he got out of her. "That's your problem, not mine".

That sentence snapped something in her and Yukihime threw herself at Madara with her teeth bared. She didn't care if he could kill her. She didn't care if he said it just to make her more angry. She didn't care if he was the leader of the Uchiha and she was the sister of the Senju clan leader.

Madara gave her the upper hand to let her get some steam out while making sure neither knocked each other out. He was not going to explain to Hashirama why he was bringing his sister back when she was unconscious.

When he felt a slight fall in her strength, he turned the tables and took the upper hand almost effortlessly.

Yukihime's eyes widened when Madara pinned her down and he held her hands on either sides of her head with his knees at her hips and pinning her lower body as well. She tried pushing him off but she knew it was futile when he only smirked at her attempts. His gaze roamed her face and he motioned to the green seal on her forehead. "What's that?"

"Secret".

"Well, that's a change. You're not babbling like usual".

"Shut up and get off!"

"You're different". This caught Yukihime's attention and she frowned lightly. "You have the same eyes as Hashirama, you have a few things in common with Tobirama but that's it. You're much more different than them".

Madara nearly raised an eyebrow when her frown faded and she avoided his gaze. "Just get off", she said more softly.

The young man obliged but he sat close to her as Yukihime kept lying down to watch the clouds. "I don't know if I can trust you", she admitted. "We are sworn enemies but we've been meeting up several times now. Still, how would I know if you're not going to leave like you left Hashi-nii-San?"

Madara felt something pulling at his heart and he lifted his eyes to the sky. "That's your choice".

"If I decide to trust you, will you please keep what I'm going to tell you to yourself?"

Madara turned to her with a curious look. The trust in her eyes tore at him but he nodded and Yukihime sat up.

"There used to be five of us", she began. "Hashi-nii-San, Tobi-nii-San, Kawarama, Itama and myself. We were all siblings but there's something that my father ordered us to keep quiet about. I do not share the same mother as my step-brothers".

Madara's eyes widened at the information.

"My mother was from another clan and my father took her in when he found her wounded in the woods. Father and his wife- my brothers' mother- were a happy couple and they loved each other very much. Then one day, father lost his brother in one of the battles. However, instead of heading back to his house, he went to check on my mother who was already healed and helping the Senju women around. He told her about his loss and my mother comforted him. But for that night, he lost himself in his grief and I was conceived. It was not supposed to happen. I was a mistake. My mother was looked down upon during her pregnancy but she had no other place to go to. Then she died while giving birth to me and father's wife was kind enough to take me in as her own daughter. Father never loved me but my brothers loved me as their own. This is why I'm different and I can do this".

Madara watched as Yukihime opened her palm in front of him and a small crystal began to form. It grew into a small figurine which he recognized as himself in an offensive stance. The crystal was purple but it had a blue tint to it.

"Now, you decide whether you're going to keep this information to yourself or if you're going to use it to defame my family and to kill me", she added as she placed the crystal in his gloved hands and she stood up. "I know I've put myself in a dangerous position where it can cost me and my brothers a lot but still, I feel like I can trust you with my past and my present. Whether I have a future or not, now lies in your hands, Madara".

He watched her leave and his hand closed around the figurine gently.

* * *

 **How was this one?**

 **~IcedLady~**


	3. Chapter 3

Yukihime grinned at the adrenaline rush she felt. With her chakra enhanced strength, she punched and kicked her enemies who came at her one after the other. For the first time, she had been allowed to join her brothers on the frontline and while she pushed through the Uchiha, her slugs were working on healing the injured Senju clan members on the sidelines. She had a few cuts and bruises but these were being healed by the tiny one she called Katsuyu that had attached itself to her body as precaution. Close around her were her brothers and the Uchiha brothers as their opponents. The fight between Hashirama and Madara looked more like a coordinated dance than attempts to defeat each other. On the other side, the fight between Tobirama and Izuna was more of a battle of wits.

Izuna blew a gigantic fireball at Tobirama but it was countered by the Senju's water dragon. The impact of both attacks caused an explosion and a thick steam was formed.

And Tobirama ended the fight.

In an instant, he used his Flying Raijin Jutsu and he sliced through the young Uchiha who was stunned at the attack. Yukihime felt her stomach churning when he coughed up blood and his body went limp. Madara suddenly appeared and he grabbed his brother before he could fall.

"Izuna, hang in there! I swear I'll save you", a desperate Madara said strongly. His eyes momentarily found the Senju he had been secretly meeting up with and he was surprised at the primal fear he saw in her eyes. It seemed as if she was holding back from running to him and try to heal his last brother. A strange feeling took over him. He recognized the intense anger he felt at her for holding back but a fierce love was battling against it, trying to make him realize that at least she thought of helping despite being an enemy.

"Hashirama..."

"Madara, you cannot defeat me", the Senju leader said and he lowered his sword, planting it in the cracked ground. "Why don't we end this? If the two strongest Shinobi clans, the Uchiha and the Senju, join forces, nations will not be able to find other Shinobi clans that can stand against us. The conflict will eventually start to die down. Come on".

Hashirama extended his hand towards his old friend and his dark eyes baring his heart for Madara to see. Madara was reminded of the visions they had as children and he was not surprised that Hashirama was still holding on to the belief that they could achieve peace.

Perhaps, it would not be so bad if he agreed.

"Brother, no", Izuna rasped out. "Do not be deceived by them. Have you forgotten that these bastards killed everyone? Killed the Uchiha?"

Madara looked around and the battlefield seemed to agree with his younger brother. He could see dozens of his men lying unconscious, whether too injured to move or on their deathbed.

"Madara".

The man turned to look at the tired Yukihime. Her shoulders were slumped and her eyes held the same emotions which Hashirama had. Her clothes were stained with blood from her opponents and some of her own.

"Let's stop this, please", she said softly. He saw the defeat in her eyes moments before he threw a smoke bomb and disappeared with his injured brother.

* * *

The Senju had defeated the Uchiha but Yukihime was not happy. For some unknown reason, she avoided everyone and she spent most of her time outside. She was grateful that Hashirama had ordered not to follow her and to give her time and space.

Yukihime went up the hill as usual and heart clenched when she didn't find Madara. She knew that he would not come since his brother was severely injured but somehow, she wanted him to be here. With her. Her gaze shifted from the deep green forest and settled on the Uchiha camp. She fisted her hands and gritted her teeth from the pull she felt and she left.

For the next few days, Yukihime spent barely half an hour at the hill daily. There was no Madara in sight and she holed herself in her study, working relentlessly. On one side, she used books to distract her from thinking about the man, and on the other side, she was working to improve her medical ninjutsu and her strength technique. So far, she had already read half a dozen books, healed injured animals for practice and worked on her crystal release. During those days, no one came to bother her.

Several days had gone by when Yukihime met Madara again. She was coming up the hill when she saw him standing in their usual spot. His back was to her and wariness churned in her stomach at his tightly fisted hands. She silently made her way to him and she stood next to him.

It did not take long for him to speak up.

"Tobirama killed my brother".

Yukihime froze and her eyes widened.

"Izuna-"

"Do not take his name, Senju!" Madara roared angrily as he towered over the white haired girl. "And don't even pretend to feel sorry! I don't need your fake feelings and you didn't even know Izuna".

He was taken aback when she forced him to sit with only one hand pressing down his shoulder. He felt her chakra and this was not what surprised him. It was the glare in her eyes.

Yukihime knelt by his side and she wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders, burying her nose in his soft hair. He tried pushing her off and a low growl began building up in his throat.

"It's true that I never knew your brother. But if he's anything like you then he must have been a man with a really good heart", she told him. Madara was silent. "And I can't pretend to know you well enough but from the glimpses you gave me, I can already tell that deep down you have the kindest, warmest heart. When you first activated your Sharingan at the river, I saw your heart. I saw the hatred in it as well as the love. Such an intense hate, such a deep love".

Yukihime shifted to kneel in front of him and she cupped his face gently. "Don't let the death of Izuna make your hate grow stronger. Don't let that hate destroy the love you have. We are enemies but I care about you".

"Why do you even bother?"

"I have the Senju blood running in my veins, so what? Does my blood decide who I should care about? I follow my heart, Madara. And my heart says that you are not a bad person. That's why I care. That's why I want this foolish war to end".

Madara held the strong look in her dark eyes and he slowly pushed her away before standing up. "You don't understand, Yukihime. Don't follow your heart or you might end up dead someday".

Tears blurred her eyes when he left and her heart sank for the nth time.

* * *

It was yet another battle. Bodies were lying around and Yukihime was healing the Senju who could still be saved. A few feet away from her were her brothers and Madara with a few more persons standing on each sides.

"Those eyes", Hashirama muttered and Yukihime looked up. Madara's eyes had a different form of the Sharingan and these ones froze her to her core.

"What happened to Izuna?" Tobirama asked and he nearly frowned when he noticed his sister lowering her head as if she knew what was coming.

"My little brother ended up dying from that day's wounds", Madara replied. "He left me with powers that will help to protect the Uchiha".

"I sent you a cease-fire agreement", his old friend said. "If you truly want to protect the Uchiha, then let's stop fighting!"

Something dark appeared in Madara's eyes and his chakra level suddenly spiked. Rib bones formed around him as a protective shield and layers appeared until a giant being appeared out of the blue chakra. The giant went to attack Hashirama who countered with his Deep Forest Bloom. The Poison Pollen released by the blooming flowers weakened the giant.

"Enough, Madara!" Hashirama called out. "Fighting is meaningless".

"Meaningless?" the Uchiha echoed. "Then why did Izuna die? It's because you bastards killed him!"

The sudden surge in power rocked the ground and Yukihime went to Tobirama's side and they both hid behind a thick stem. Once things were calmer, they came out and found the giant fully armored and ready for battle. Madara was standing on its head and the look in his eyes had Yukihime weaving signs rapidly.

"Crystal release: Crystal Shield!"

She stood in front of the rest of the Senju with the blue-ish purple shield in hands and when she concentrated her chakra flow into it, it expanded. The people behind her were protected from stray pieces of rock and wood that flew out from the battle between the armored giant and her brother's Wood Golem. This would be able to protect them but what about... With an irritated sigh, she expanded the shield even more and with her chakra, she bent it around so that it would protect the Uchiha as well. She was going to be scolded for protecting enemies but at the moment, she just did not care. She felt the baffled glare of Tobirama piercing the back of her head and she dismissed it. She concentrated on keeping the shield intact which was getting more difficult since the battle between the leaders of the two clans was getting out of hand and her chakra was depleting.

"Hold on", Tobirama said and he placed his hand on her shoulder. Right on cue, the last attacks from Hashirama and Madara collided and the explosion destroyed everything around. Yukihime held on and the shield took the worst of the hit before it shattered into shiny dust particles. As the dust settled, Hashirama could be seen kneeling next to Madara who was lying down. Both of them were panting heavily and Tobirama ran to his brother's side with Yukihime close behind him. The white haired man lifted his sword which was poised right above the Uchiha clan leader.

"Madara, you're finished".

"Tobi-nii-San! Please, don't let it end this way".

"Hime is right, Tobirama", Hashirama said with a slight nod and Tobirama stopped.

"Why?" he demanded with red eyes narrowed. "Yukihime, you have no right to say anything about this. And brother, this is our chance!"

"No one touches him", Hashirama said in a firm but dangerous tone. His glare held Tobirama back from doing or saying anything else.

"Just get it over with, Hashirama", Madara then said. "It would be an honor to die by your hand".

"Stop it", the Senju clan leader answered in a softer voice. "If I killed the leader of the Uchiha, it will only incite the young ones to follow you".

"There is no one left with such pluck in the Uchiha anymore".

"Perhaps not now, but there may be in time. Come on, why don't we end this war?" Hashirama coerced. "We made a promise to each other, remember? To create the ideal village. Can't we go back to those days and skip rocks together?"

Next to them, Tobirama relaxed his posture but he still remained on his guard.

"That's just impossible. You and I are no longer the same. I don't have a single brother left. I have nothing to protect and I just can't trust you. But there is a way... Either kill one of your siblings or kill yourself right now".

The three Senju siblings were shocked at the demand.

"It's only then I'd be willing to trust your clan", Madara added.

"This is crazy", Tobirama objected and he stood in front of Yukihime protectively. "Whatever happens, Yukihime will not be harmed. So what are you going to do, brother? Are you going to kill me or yourself? Don't listen to his nonsense!"

Hashirama stood up and he smiled. "Thank you, Madara. You really are kindhearted", he said and he took off his body armor.

Yukihime's eyes widened but she was frozen behind Tobirama. She could not lose either of her brothers!

Hashirama took out one of his kunai knives. "Listen well, Tobirama. Etch these words into your heart, for these are my final words. You too my fellow clan members". He held the weapon over his stomach. "After my death, do not kill Madara. I forbid any fighting between the Uchiha and the Senju. Swear this right now, upon the lives of your fathers and your grandchildren yet unborn".

He smiled genuinely. "Farewell".

A single tear escaped his right eye and his hand moved forward.

Tobirama choked back a gasp and he reached out to stop his brother but he was surprised when it was Madara himself who held Hashirama's hand to stop him from killing himself.

"Enough", he said softly. "I have now seen your guts".

Hashirama smiled again, this time with happiness and love. The war was over and Uchiha and the Senju made peace.

"Let's go home", he said and Madara nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile.

Tobirama silently followed his brother and he looked back at Yukihime who had not moved at all. "Oi, Yuki, you coming?"

His eyes widened when the girl lifted her head slowly and he caught sight of the fury in her eyes that seem to be darker than normal. He felt her chakra shifting dangerously.

"Yuki?" he called cautiously and his sister bared her teeth in a feral growl. "Brother!"

Hashirama turned around to see what was wrong and he blanched at his very angry younger sister. "H-H-H-Hime?"

Madara too turned to see the scene but he froze when the cold fury was aimed at him too.

"Morons", she growled lowly.

"Who?" Hashirama asked tentatively.

"All of you!" she suddenly screamed and her eyes were wide from anger. "This war could have been stopped ages ago! Hashirama, who the hell are you to decide who was going to die, huh?! You're the leader, so what? You're stupid and annoying- Don't bother getting depressed, idiot! And Madara". A shiver ran up the man's spine. "Your demand is justified but for some reason, I want to rip your windpipe out".

"Run".

The whisper had both the Uchiha and the Senju disappearing from the battlefield before any of them were incapacitated by the hands of the medic.

* * *

 **I really liked this one! Especially the last part XD**

 **~IcedLady~**


	4. Chapter 4

It was like a dream.

The Uchiha and the Senju formed an alliance. There would no longer be any casualties nor would anymore children have to die.

Yukihime sat in her personal office which was found in a building that was assigned to her only. She had her office on the ground floor, her personal library on the first floor and her living quarters on the top floor. She was appointed as head nurse in the new hospital of the new unnamed village. Her brothers and Madara were working together and they managed to ally with the Land of Fire, and created a peaceful state where nation and village stood on equal footing. While they took care of the politics, all she had to do was to take care of the growing population. And she was tiring herself out.

There were three eight hours shift per day at the hospital and she had to work one and a half shifts in one day due to the lack of medics. On the other half of the second shift, she took time to train youngsters who were interested in the medical field. Then, during her time off she slept, ate, showered, trained and studied. She was aware that she was not getting enough sleep despite the naps she took during work and she was also not eating well due to the little time she had. Her taijutsu was getting sloppy and she had no time for herself.

"Kazuma!"

"Yukihime-sama", the young man said back with a slight bow of his head. His shaggy blonde hair fell over his green eyes in soft waves, eyes that held amusement at the walking time-bomb known as Senju Yukihime. He figured it would not be long until she snapped and lashed out viciously at everyone and everything in her path. He was from a minor clan that had recently joined the new village and since he was not a good fighter, he had opted to become a medic nin. With his almost perfect ability to manipulate chakra, he quickly climbed the ranks and was then appointed as Yukihime's assistant. He often helped her in filing reports and doing paperwork, as well as training the small number of their youngest students.

"I need the Takamori file. I still haven't figured out what was wrong with Rei-chan. And put up a notice about the check-ups for everyone. We'll take care of every Ninja first, then children, and the remaining women and men. Once you've done that, go check on our students and see how they are doing and then report to me".

"Yes, Milady".

"Don't call me that!"

"Of course, Milady".

Yukihime groaned as soon as Kazuma left and she lowered her aching head onto her desk which was littered with books, scrolls and papers. There was so much work to do and she was already running behind on schedule. "Crystal release: Crystal Clones!"

In a puff of smoke, three clones appeared and all looked at her expectantly. "I have work for each of you. One, paperwork. Two, use the books in the library to gather medicinal plants from the forest around. You may borrow books from Tobi-nii-San as well. And three, get my bath ready while I finish going through the Takamori file".

The three clones immediately set out to carry out her orders just as Kazuma came back with the file in hand. "Thank you, Kazuma", Yukihime said with a nod to the young man. "Once you're done, you may head home and rest".

"I advise you to do the same, Yukihime-sama".

"Oh, get out".

With a chuckle, Kazuma left to complete his work.

Ten minutes after raking her mind about what was wrong with Takamori Rei, her clone came down announcing that her bath was ready. "Right", the original said. "Find me anything that can relate to Takamori's case and take them to my office in the hospital. That's all".

Yukihime took the stairs and she went up to her living quarters where she could smell her honey-and-vanilla-scented bath in every room. She entered her bedroom to get some fresh clothes and she headed to the bathroom. She placed her clothes on the counter and she peeled off those she was wearing before sliding in the bathtub. A soft moan escaped her and her body relaxed completely. "This feels so good", she mumbled drowsily as sleep caught up to her and her eyes slowly closed, throwing the girl in a very comfortable darkness that enveloped her whole being, coercing her into giving in and letting go of everything for a moment. The tiny moment Yukihime allowed herself to let go turned into minutes and soon, she was in a deep sleep.

* * *

Madara walked in the hospital where ninjas of all ages were having a check-up by the working medics. Those who bore the Uchiha name bowed low as he walked past them and others simply threw a hesitant smile at him. They were still afraid of him, he realized. After all, he had faced many of their families in battles and all of them had been defeated by him. None of them interested him at the moment.

For some reason he could not understand, he wanted to speak to Yukihime.

Where else to look for her if not in the hospital? He and Hashirama had made her head nurse so, she must certainly be around in the building.

"Madara-sama", a soft voice called and the man turned to look at a tall woman who was dressed as a medic and she had some papers clutched to her chest. He noticed her fearful eyes but paid no attention to them. "May I help you?"

"I need to talk to Yukihime", he demanded.

The woman frowned in thought before nodding to herself and then looking up at him. "Yukihime-sama is back home in her personal office. You can wait for her here itself if you wish. Her shift will start in about ten minutes", she answered.

Madara turned to leave and he headed out to Yukihime's place. He knocked once on the door before opening it and letting himself in. He took off his sandals and he went in the adjacent room where he knew her office was. There she was, at her desk and doing paperwork. The white haired girl paused in her writing and she smiled up at him. "Ah, Madara-San. My original is upstairs in her private quarters. Would you like to see her?"

Madara contemplated his answer. He was facing her clone and not the original Yukihime. Then perhaps he could-

The clone suddenly disappeared and it broke into tiny crystals. Dark eyes widened. The clone should not have disappeared so suddenly!

Without a second thought, Madara took to the stairs and he went up in the girl's living area. There was a faint scent in the air and after a silent debate, he headed to the bathroom. It was certainly not an easy decision to make. His best friend's little sister was most probably inside in her birth suit, that is, naked. Madara shove the embarrassment he felt deep down and he pushed open the door and a blast of steam caused him to take a step back. He waited for a beat before entering the bathroom.

His dark eyes widened when he found Yukihime in the tub and her still body was completely submerged. With a growl, Madara sat on the wooden edge of the bathtub and he reached in the water, placing his hand at the back of the girl's neck and he pulled her out. "Oi, Yukihime!"

His booming voice caused dark eyes to open at once and the girl took in a wheezing breath and she coughed due to the water which nearly blocked her windpipe. Her head snapped up and she found Madara staring at her. She felt the heat creeping up her neck and onto her face.

There was a man in her bathroom.

She was naked.

"GET OUT, BAKA!"

Madara narrowed his eyes at the sting he felt from when Yukihime's hand successfully slapped him clean across the face. Before she could claw at him, he held both of her wrists with a single hand and he roughly held her chin up with the other. "Do not ever hit me again or I'll cut off your hands".

"Being the village founder does not give you the right to barge in my bathroom when I am indecent", she shot back.

"You ought to thank me, Senju, or you would have drowned pathetically in your bath", the older man said and he kept his gaze locked on to hers to ensure that he would look no lower than her neck. He let go of her chin and he reached to his left, pulling a towel from the shelves and he stood up, pulling Yukihime out of the water in doing so. He carelessly threw the towel over her and he let go of her, turning his back to her while she adjusted the only cloth on her tightly. "I'll talk to you later", he said and he made his way out but he paused in the doorway. "You need some rest or you might risk drowning yourself for good next time. And your shift at the hospital already started".

He was already out of the building when he heard her panicking and he smirked.

Hashirama watched as Madara walked away from Yukihime's place and a smile tugged at his mouth. It seemed like the two of them were more than acquaintances but since he was dealing with Hime and Madara, he could not say whether what they had between them was friendship or something less than that. He did consider something more than friendship but it did not seem to fit.

Whatever it was, he only prayed that it held strongly.

* * *

 **I had some fun with this XD Seriously, Madara! Have you no shame at all?**

 **~IcedLady~**


	5. Chapter 5

The village had grown, Yukihime thought as she made her rounds at the hospital. There were people she knew quite well, others were acquaintances and some she didn't know at all. Still, Yukihime was certain that with time, she would get to know everyone since she made it a point to befriend all her patients so as to make them more at ease whenever they came in for treatment. The number of medics she was in charge of was growing steadily and although some of them complained about her strict ways behind her back, she loved all of them equally. Somehow, those medics were more like her children than her students.

A wave here, a smile there, a few greetings thrown in between.

"Yukihime-sama", Kazuma called as he suddenly appeared by her side. "We have an emergency in room 29. Patient is not breathing and his pulse is dropping rapidly".

It was in times like these that Yukihime cursed herself for not knowing how to use the Flying Raijin Jutsu of Tobirama. No matter how many times she tried, it seemed like it was one of the jutsus she was not capable of learning. She took off at a run with her assistant close behind her and the two of them weaved through the people around and they reached their critical patient. The white haired Senju immediately began throwing out orders while she examined the man. Kazuma gave her a hand without her saying anything to him and he internally smiled at the smooth pattern of their combined work. No matter the situation, the two of them formed a formidable team and they always managed to get out of the most sticky cases by helping each other.

Yukihime heaved a sigh of relief and she headed out after asking two nurses to keep an eye on their now safe patient. It was the end of her second shift and since she had completed most of her personal work, she decided to drop by the academy and see how things were going. Coincidentally, the two founders of the village were heading in the same direction.

"Hashi-nii-San! Madara!" she called out and she jogged to join the two men.

"Ah, Hime", Hashirama said pleasantly and gave his sister a side-hug. "How was your day? Are you done at the hospital or are you just on a break?" He did not miss the strange look that was exchanged between Madara and the young girl.

"Today was nice", Yukihime said and she walked to her brother's left with Madara on his right. "I had a few complicated cases but overall, everything is good. Both shifts are over and I wanted to go see the academy for a bit".

"Then the students are in for a treat if the three of us are together", he said cheerfully. "What do you think, Madara?"

"Does it even matter?"

"Of course it does!"

Yukihime stifled her laughter when the two of them began bickering with Madara having the upper hand effortlessly. The academy was soon within sight and a young boy rushed out but he tripped on his own feet and he fell flat on the ground. Madara reacted first and he bent to the boy's level to offer him his hand. Yukihime burst out laughing when the boy froze in fear at the Uchiha who was trying to smile, a smile which only seemed to freak the child out. The raven haired man shot her an annoyed look but Yukihime only laughed harder. Hashirama then stepped forward and he stood next to Madara, extending his hand to the boy who accepted it.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Hashirama asked him gently. "That was a nasty fall".

"Yes", the boy murmured and he looked down at his scraped knees and his palms which were throbbing in pain.

"Let me heal them for you", Yukihime said and her hands glowed a soft green color. It took only a few seconds to heal him completely and the boy went off after thanking them and he even managed to smile at Madara.

"Let's go in!" the only girl said and she skipped inside the academy, leaving the two men to follow her.

"Why does my baby sister call you by name only?" Hashirama asked, turning a curious eye to his best friend.

"Because this is your sister we're talking about".

"What do you mean by that?! Do you have-"

"Can both of you tone it down?!" Yukihime said sharply with a narrowed glare as she suddenly came out from one of the classrooms. "We are in a school where children are busy studying. If I hear your voices higher than a whisper, I'll kick both of you out! Get it?!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Hashirama replied immediately and Madara only nodded hesitantly.

He waited until she was out of earshot before turning to Hashirama, "How come your sister is-"

The rest of his sentence was choked back when a blur of white and green rammed into him and he suddenly found himself outside the academy with a pale Hashirama next to him. Yukihime was standing in front of them with her hands on her hips and she was glaring at them darkly. "What did I tell you?" she hissed. "All I ask is for you to keep it down! You're not coming back here unless you're really going to keep your mouth shut or I'll do worse than just drag you out here".

"I really don't know why she's got such a temper", Hashirama admitted as they walked away from the building. "She's always been like that, though".

Madara kept silent as he headed back home. Yukihime was one hell of a woman, he thought with a smirk.

* * *

When the sun began disappearing from the sky while leaving behind a trail of orange and pink against the pale blue color of the sky, Madara headed to one of the newly constructed training grounds which were not yet open to the growing number of the Shinobi in the village. He had just finished some paperworks for his clan and he came out for some fresh air after being cooped up in his office for more than four hours.

"Well, well", a very familiar voice called from behind him and Madara turned around, finding Yukihime standing a few feet away from him with her hands on her hips. "First the hill, now here. I guess we do have the same tastes for places to spend some time alone".

"Or you followed me".

The white haired girl scoffed. "Oh please, don't be so full of yourself. I'm not one of the women who pretend to be in love with you and then stalk you for the rest of their lives".

Madara could not stop from smirking and he looked up at the darkening sky. An alarm went off in his head and he moved his head to the side, narrowly avoiding the girl's fist. He caught her hand and he threw her over his shoulder but Yukihime landed neatly. "Come on", she said. "You and me. Taijutsu, no use of chakra".

She grinned when the older man obliged and they went at each other with slow moves and they rapidly picked up the pace. However, Yukihime was struggling to keep up with him. He was attacking ruthlessly, barely giving her any chance to counter his moves. She could only block or dodge so as not to be taken out within a few minutes. Her dark eyes narrowed when Madara smirked and she upped the game. She nearly laughed at the surprise on his face when her moves became brutal.

Madara knew she had a destructive strength when she fused her chakra with her attacks but he was honestly surprised at her raw strength. Yukihime looked like one of those tiny fragile women but she had an incredible strength which he saw in no other woman. Sure, he was holding back so as not to injure her too much but still, it was impressive how she could hold up her own against him. He saw the slight widening of her eyes when his own gleamed and in a sudden move, he hooked his foot behind hers and Yukihime stumbled back. She choked back a gasp when he pushed her and they fell heavily on the soft grass.

Yukihime felt her face heating up at the intimate contact and she could swear her heart was going to jump out through her throat. She stiffened when she felt his hand brushing past her side and Madara placed his hands on either side of her head to take most of his weight off of her. He was amused to see the dark blush on her face despite of the near darkness.

"That was a good exercise", he said casually.

"I g-guess", Yukihime replied softly, willing her heart to calm down and then she glared at him. "Can you get off?!"

Madara's smirk widened at the half attempt to push him off. "No", he said lowly and he observed her expressions carefully.

Yukihime was tempted to punch his smug face with all her chakra concentrated at her knuckles. She froze when his dark eyes were swallowed by the eerie red color of the Sharingan. The tomoe in his sharp eyes spun in a hypnotizing manner and they slowly slowed down to a stop. Despite knowing that Madara can easily pull her in one of his very powerful Genjutsu, Yukihime could not look away from the red of his eyes. Her body involuntarily relaxed and she leaned forward into him with her elbows supporting her body.

For once, Madara was the one frozen.

His best friend's sister was kissing him.

* * *

 **OH MY GAAHHHDDD! They finally kiss! :D Well, an unexpected one for both of them but eh, a kiss nonetheless ;)**

 **~IcedLady~**


	6. Chapter 6

It had been nearly a month since Madara's last encounter with Yukihime. The last time they talked to each other was the day that they had sparred and then the youngest Senju had kissed him, pushed him off while he was stunned and ran off. Ever since then, Yukihime avoided him like he had the plague and if ever she needed to talk to him about work, she sent Kazuma in her stead. The green eyed man was not happy to learn that he would serve as messenger for them but he complied with the girl's wishes without questions.

It was also clear that Yukihime's brothers knew something was wrong when she buried herself in work, training and her studies, and avoided to have any contact with anyone except for Kazuma. For quite a few weeks, he was the only one allowed to approach her and Kazuma himself was curious about what had driven her to avoid everyone else.

One evening, he went to her place where he found the white haired girl sitting on the floor of her library with books opened all around her. He was supposed to give her some notes she had asked him to look for and then leave, but Kazuma decided to try getting information out of her about her current mood. He silently came close to her and he sat down on her left with his legs crossed. For the first few minutes, Yukihime paid no attention to him and she continued reading the book in her lap.

Then, she turned to him with an eyebrow raised. "You can leave the papers and carry on with whatever you've been doing", she said. "I'll send my clone if ever I need anything else".

"I have nothing else to do. I'm free until my night shift".

"Then go take a rest or something".

"I want to spend some time with you. Is that a problem?"

The young girl looked at him curiously under her thick eyelashes. Kazuma had a strange look on his face, she noticed. A look she regularly saw when he was with the pretty Kunoichi with jet black hair and stunning blue eyes. The one named Miho, she remembered. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I can't?" he asked as he leaned close to her and Yukihime immediately shuffled away from him.

"Last time I checked, Miho is the only woman who would get you to look at her that way".

She was amused when the older medic flushed bright red and he straightened his posture. "You noticed", he stated and then smiled shyly. He was not surprised at all that she turned the tables on him.

"I'm your superior and I make it my business to ensure that my disciples are protected from harm and that they do not harm others. The first time I saw you looking at Miho with those eyes, I wanted to make sure that whatever would happen between you two would not, in any manner, disrupt you at work", the head medic said.

"What's going on between you and Madara-Sama?"

Yukihime froze and her jaw fell open. His question felt like a brick had been thrown at her face. "W-What do you mean?!" She exclaimed and shut the book in her lap. "What kind of question is that?!"

Kazuma leaned back casually, a smirk tugging at his lips but he held it back for his own safety. "You know, it's actually pretty easy to figure out that you and him are currently not talking to each other", he told her. "For one, you don't want to have any contact with him. Two, you're using me as a link between you two. And three, your flushed face says that I've hit the nail right on the head".

"Do not speak so casually to me", the younger Ninja warned as her eyes narrowed. "I am your superior and even if I allow you to be informal when we're alone, there's still a certain limit to what you say to me".

"That was a dirty move, Yukihime-Sama", the blonde haired man said and he stood up, dusting his pants. "I'll leave you to continue your work, then". With a nod to the white haired girl, he walked out of the room hoping that the sudden question would get her thinking and resolve whatever problem there was between her and the leader of the Uchiha clan.

Just as Kazuma expected, Yukihime was unable to get on with her work. She set the books and papers by the side and she lied down on the floor with her limbs stretched out. Thinking about what had happened the last time she met Madara, Yukihime was tempted to hit her head against the floor as punishment. What came over her to kiss him just like that?! It made no sense whatsoever and despite of the excuses she made up in her mind, she knew that it was all useless. Sure, she had crossed a limit but Madara could have stopped her, right? After all, he was one of the best Shinobi around and he was the co-founder of their new village. But she guessed that the move was unpredictable and both of them were caught off-guard by it. The young Senju may have not given any sign of it but the kiss always lingered at the back of her mind like a constant dangerous situation, one she was hungry for.

With a frustrated growl, Yukihime stood up and gathering some papers which were to be delivered to the man who endlessly made her jittery on the inside, she left the building, intending to deliver them herself. And she might as well clear up anything he had to say about that last day.

* * *

"-and we're going to have to decide on a name for the village", Hashirama ended and he looked up from his notes to find his best friend staring out of the window with his arms crossed over his chest firmly. "Madara! Are you even listening to me?!"

Those dark eyes which held enough power to annihilate a whole population swept over in a casual manner to make contact with the Senju's annoyed face. "I am", Madara answered shortly.

"Then repeat what I just told you!"

"This is childish, Hashirama", the dark haired man said but he sighed at the adamant look on his friend's face. "We have to go over our defense strategies with the other clan leaders, improve the guarding posts around the village, set up a permanent program for teachers, and find a name for the village".

"So you were actually listening", Hashirama said with a suspicious look in his eyes. He was certain that Madara's head was elsewhere.

"Unlike somebody I know, I don't space out during work", the Uchiha said with a light smirk.

"I d-don't space out!"

The soft knock at the door got their attention and the friendly spat was put on hold. The door opened and Yukihime came in with her shoulders squared and her spine straight as a rod. Madara hid his smirk behind a careful poker face. Next to him, Hashirama noted the stiffness in his sister's posture and it was clear that there still was some bumps left in her relationship with Madara.

"Ah, Hime", Hashirama said welcomingly. "Is anything the matter or are you simply here to see how your dearest brother is doing?"

"Actually, I have some work with Madara", she replied shortly and to the point. Her gaze shifted to the man she was looking for and she said, "If you would please accompany me to-"

"There's no need", Hashirama quickly cut in. "I have other things to do so you can discuss whatever you need here itself". As much as he wanted to stay and find out what had caused the two of them to ignore each other, Hashirama left the office to go to his beloved wife.

Back in the office, both occupants were silent. Madara kept his arms crossed and he leaned back against the large desk, waiting for the girl to make a move. He watched as she seemingly gave herself an encouraging push and she took long but elegant strides to him and she handed him the papers she had. "It's the list of Ninja you had asked for", she told him and then took a step back when he took the papers and gave them a quick glance before setting them on the table. "They're the ones suitable for the new program you set up along with Hashi-nii-San. They are just a few but they're the best I found".

"Did you put your name and details as well?" he asked.

The question took Yukihime by surprise. "Excuse me?"

Madara uncrossed his arms and he took the papers, looking through the first few candidates. "The candidates are excellent ones but did you consider volunteering for it? You are better than or on par with the list you put up", he told her.

"I already have too much work on my hands", she answered. "There's the hospital, the new trainees, patients I personally need to attend to and so many-"

"What went through your head?" he interrupted.

"Excuse me?" Yukihime asked defensively. The tone he used was one of curiosity and amusement mixed together, with a subtle touch of annoyance. However, it was the dry smirk on his handsome face that irked her the most. "What's with the questions?"

Madara pushed himself off the table and he stood directly in front of her, forcing her to tilt her head up to look at him. "What went through your head for you to kiss me?" he clarified and was even further amused to see the pale pink coloring on her cheeks. "That was a very bold move".

"That was just a in-the-moment thing", Yukihime replied sharply and she turned her back to him to leave. "Don't you even think that I have a thing for you. You are an Uchiha, I am a Senju, and the line in between will never fade away".

Her instincts kicked in when Madara used his speed to grab her shoulder and she turned on her heel with a punch aiming for his jaw. The raven haired man dodged the powerful blow and he shifted his grip to the base of her neck while reaching for her wrists.

And he growled furiously when she kicked his shin and tried to trip him but Yukihime was taken by surprise when she was shoved against the wall. Madara tightened his hand around her neck and he took advantage of her shock to pin her arms above her head. He effectively pinned the lower part of her body with his hips and he nearly scoffed when she winced.

So it seemed like she was a powerhouse, but one with a fragile body.

He watched the blood drain out of her face when his Sharingan spun madly but he was curious at the fascinated look in her eyes as she stared right back at him.

"That kiss was not a in-the-moment thing. There's something else you're not telling me about why you did such a thing", he said in a low and dangerous tone. "Besides, weren't you the one who told me that it doesn't matter from what clan we are because you care? And your brother was the one who made it clear that the line between our clans is permanent when he killed Izuna. I don't need you to remind me of it".

A baffled look came on her face. "What on earth?! I didn't say nor imply anything concerning Izu-"

She bit back a gasp when his hand around her neck tightened further, just a breath away from snapping it in half. The look in his deep red eyes was chilling but she blamed the tingles on seeing the Sharingan, something that never ceased to make her wonder.

When his hold did not ease off, Yukihime lifted her head further to try take in air but in vain. Black spots appeared in her vision and the panic bubbling in the pit of her stomach pushed her to struggle and she willed her crystal release to protect her.

Madara saw the triumphant look in her dark hazy eyes and he pulled back just in time when large crystals suddenly began appearing on her body and they quickly covered her left shoulder down to wrap around her torso and they went down to her knees. As soon as he had let go of her, Yukihime coughed and she greedily gulped air that was deprived from her lungs. She glared at the man and the crystals disappeared into sparkling dust.

"Do not ever man handle me again", she growled lowly. "I absolutely hate men who man handle others just to prove their dominance".

"And I absolutely hate women of your kind".

Yukihime did not bother spitting another hateful comment at him and she walked around him, leaping out of the window without glancing back. She kept to the roofs and she quickly reached her home where she headed straight for the bathroom. One look in the mirror told her that it was wise to have taken to the roofs else she would have scared people away with the anger which had set itself on her face or eyebrows would have been raised at the bruises. Her wrists were pale with light blue spots and her neck sported a red imprint of the prideful man's hand.

With one last glare at her reflection, the head-nurse began bandaging the bruises.

* * *

 **Ouch... Such violence! :o**

 **~IcedLady~**


	7. Chapter 7

"Yukihime-Sama", a young maid called as she entered the library where the white haired girl was. She found her lying belly down on the floor with books opened in front of her as she scribbled in her notebook. "Yukihime-Sama".

"I heard you the first time", the Senju girl replied without looking up. "Is something the matter?"

"Tobirama-Sama is asking for you urgently. He's waiting for you downstairs", the maid relayed.

Yukihime frowned and she stood up with a huff. "He just can't leave me alone, can he?" she muttered to herself, dismissed the maid and went in her office where Tobirama was sitting in her chair. "What's the urgent matter?" she asked without wasting time.

"You're not going to like it", the older man replied with a smirk.

"It can't be that bad".

"Do you remember the Kirisaki clan?"

Yukihime felt a shiver run up her spine. Oh, she remembered the name alright. The clan leader had sent a marriage proposal to her, one which she refused on the spot. "What is it?" she asked stiffly.

"The clan leader, Kirisaki Shun, came to personally ask for your hand in marriage", Tobirama revealed and he relaxed in the chair, watching his sister pale.

It won't take long now, he thought.

And Yukihime gritted her bared teeth with her eyes narrowed into slits. Her body was shaking from the anger bubbling dangerously deep inside her. "I already rejected his proposal", she seethed.

"He's back anyway".

Tobirama stood up slowly with his arms crossed over his chest. "What are you going to do?"

"Shake some sense into him, that's what I'm gonna do to that prick!" Yukihime said sharply and she tied her weapon holders in their respective areas. "Better if I look threatening", she explained when he gave her a questioning look. She strapped on all the weapons she could find along with her arm-guards and battle gloves.

"Wouldn't it be best if you go in hiding until he's gone?"

Yukihime looked up at her older brother questioningly. "Hashi-nii-san would be placed in a tight spot. I should go handle it myself", she answered.

"Let me accompany you, then", Tobirama ended and the two of them set off for the tower where the eldest Senju was working along with his best friend. Tobirama knocked on the door and he entered the office with Yukihime right behind him.

"Ah, Tobirama and Yukihime", Hashirama called with a hesitating smile towards the girl. He motioned to the young man standing next to him and said, "This is Kirisaki Shun, leader of the Kirisaki clan, and he's here to talk to you, Hime".

It was then that he noticed that she was dressed up for a mission, despite knowing that she had none at the moment. "Why are you dressed like that?"

Yukihime glanced at Madara who was standing by the side minding his own business but she knew that he was listening in from the sparkle in his dark eyes. She then looked at the leader of the Kirisaki clan who stood as tall as Tobirama, had spiky dark brown hair, green eyes and a very handsome smile.

But the head nurse found his presence itself to be irritating.

"I'm going off in the woods to gather some herbs", she told her brother.

"Please do that-"

"Yukihime-Sama, please allow me to accompany you", Shun cut in with a low bow.

"I appreciate your kind gesture but it is not a place where I would take other people", Yukihime replied softly. She nearly laughed at the surprise on Tobirama's face. He had expected her to blow up in Shun's face, not talk to him normally.

"Oh, but I wouldn't mind at all", Shun replied. "This could be the perfect opportunity for me to convince you that it would be in your best interest to accept my marriage proposal".

The girl nearly rolled her eyes and she smiled politely. "Very well then. Please wait for me near the front gates of the village while I talk to Tobi-nii-San".

The Kirisaki leader gave her a nod and he left the room.

Without a glance at the co-founders of the village, Yukihime grabbed Tobirama and she pulled him out of the room. The older man was forced to follow her as she walked slowly towards the gates.

"You have a plan to get rid of him, don't you?" he asked with a sly smile.

"Oh, I do, dear brother", she replied with a similar look on her face.

"Don't hurt him too much", Tobirama said and he ruffled her hair as they approached the gates, leaving her to join the brunette waiting for her.

"Let's go", Yukihime said and she walked out of the village with a wave to the guards. Shun walked by her side, all the time staring at her pensively.

"Share your thoughts?" the dark eyed girl suggested without looking at him.

"You're loved by everyone, aren't you?" he started with a light smile. "You brothers love you, people of the village love you too, I guess".

"Well, my brothers do love me a lot", she replied. "And I run the hospital so, that's why many people like me. I've been told that I'm the best nurse ever".

Shun chuckled. "I envy you, you know. I'm an only child, my parents had no time for me, and as the only heir of the clan, everyone respected me ever since I was born. But I never had a friend before nor did anyone love me the way people love you".

Yukihime was honestly surprised at that. "But you look like one of those people who have lots of friends".

"A person's appearance doesn't tell everything about them".

From there, the two of then drifted in a comfortable conversation. The Senju girl found herself at ease with him and now, the idea of showing the man how much of a monster she was seemed like a really bad one. It did not take long for her to drop it and she decided to allow him to help her get the herbs she needed.

They soon reached the valley where they began looking for the plants and Yukihime had to admit that it was quite fun. She taught him about the plants and their properties, showed him how to weave a tiara with flowers and they actually played hide-and-seek.

A few hours later, the two of them were lying down in the field while talking and laughing at stories that they shared with each other. Yukihime then sat up and she looked down at Shun who had his eyes closed. Perhaps it wouldn't be that bad if she accepted his proposal, she thought. They might actually be able to handle each other and if everything goes smoothly, they might even get married.

The image of the smirking Uchiha leader appeared in her mind and Yukihime tried shutting him out but her mind did the exact opposite.

"I rejected your proposal once, you know I'm going to do it again", she found herself saying. "You're wasting your time with me".

"I'm not", he replied and opened one eye. "I really am interested in you".

"But you can't take me if I don't want to".

"That's right". Shun sat up and he turned towards her. "I know that whatever I do you're still going to say no", he said and lifted a hand slowly to run his fingers through her silky hair. The cute blush on her face made him smile.

"Will you allow me to kiss you?" Shun asked softly. "Just this one time".

Yukihime was stunned. She was supposed to tell him to give up on her and here he was, asking to kiss her. What was wrong with him? How could he still be so gentle despite knowing that he would not have her? He was so different from Madara. He was sociable, had a great personality, had a lot of patience, and he was so nice to her. All the opposite of Uchiha Madara.

And yet, she could not stop the image of the raven haired man from popping up in her mind again.

She found herself leaning into him and Shun held her hands and he leaned forward, angling his head to catch her lips in a warm kiss. He was not surprised when she hesitated to respond but once she did, he waited for a few seconds before drawing back.

He then smirked at her. "We could have had such beautiful kids if you said yes", he said with a dramatic wave of his hand. His eyes twinkled when Yukihime laughed.

"Let's head back or Tobi-nii-San would start to worry about you", she said as she stood up and led the way back with her pouch full of herbs.

"So you did plan to kill me!"

"Not really".

The two of them headed back to the Hokage tower and the Senju brothers could not hide their surprise when they saw Yukihime and Shun walking back while talking animatedly.

"I take it that everything went well?" Hashirama asked with a questioning look.

"It was perfect, Hashirama-Sama", Shun replied with a half bow. "But your sister still rejected my proposal".

He then turned to the girl by his side with a soft smile. "If ever you change your mind, I'll be waiting for you", he said and then left shortly after.

"It looks like he really does have something for you", Tobirama said after a while.

"He does", Yukihime agreed with the ghost of a smile.

"Then why did you let him go?" Hashirama asked with annoyance. "He is the perfect man for you!"

He was puzzled when his sister did not answer and she left without causing a scene.

* * *

Madara was on the hill when he felt Yukihime approaching. He threw her a look over his shoulder and saw that she still had the weapons strapped to her body. "How did it go with the Kirisaki leader?" He found himself asking.

"Oh, we had fun", she replied shortly as she stood by his side.

Without saying a word, the Uchiha leader turned to leave. Somehow, he could not bear standing next to her. There was a heavy feeling in his stomach and he knew that if he stayed any longer, he would end up fighting her.

"Show me your Sharingan".

He paused in his steps and then turned around slowly. "Do you want to die?" He demanded with a smirk.

"Show me your Sharingan", Yukihime repeated.

Madara's eyes glinted and he took two long but elegant strides to stand right in front of her. It seemed like she really wanted to die by his hands. He obliged and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the Sharingan was spinning wildly. He saw the fascination in her dark eyes as they studied the Kekkei Genkai. He was tempted to use the Mangekyo on her but he held back, curious to know why she asked to see his red eyes.

And he was not prepared for what followed.

Yukihime took a single step forward and standing on her tiptoes, she lifted her head to kiss him. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck and her body was pressed against his. She felt like she was on a crazy ride that spun her around and upside down rapidly. But she felt every movement when Madara wrapped his arms around her waist tightly and when he kissed her back with as much fervor as she did. She winced when he fisted her hair and pulled her back to look at her.

"Is it an 'in-the-moment' thing again?" He hissed.

"No, no, it isn't", she murmured as she studied his face. "I don't know, it's too complicated. I don't understand".

"A kiss is not as complicated as you make it to be", he shot back and let go of her.

Yukihime lowered her hands and she placed them on his chest. Her mind was still reeling from her bold move. Without looking up at him, she stepped closer and rested her head against her hands. "Just don't move for a moment", she said gently and she smiled when he did not. She didn't mind that he was not holding her. "I'm making everything complicated, aren't I?"

Madara did not answer and she didn't say anything else.

She just held on to him.

* * *

 **I'm starting to like Shun. Originally, he was supposed to be a snobbish know-it-all but now, he crept his way up my favorite list.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **~IcedLady~**


	8. Chapter 8

Tobirama and Yukihime had both been called to their brother's office where the latter was seated at his desk with Madara leaning against the front of his desk. They both looked up when they came in and Hashirama joined his best friend at the front to face his siblings.

"We have been requested to help the Hoshikage clan who is at war with the Yukimura clan", he told them. "If we do help them to win, they would join our village and settle here. The Hoshikage is a powerful clan with a unique trait, one which allows them to seek the help of Kaage, the fire dragon".

"I know about them", Tobirama said with a nod. "But why ask for our assistance? They are powerful enough as it is".

"The Yukimura has two other clans backing them up while the Hoshikage is still standing alone", Madara replied. "The Senju and the Uchiha would team up and help the Hoshikage win their war".

Tobirama was silent. He was still wary of the Uchiha despite the fact that they were now on the same side.

"Who's going to lead our clans into war, then?" Yukihime asked.

"Madara and Tobirama, the two of you will be the team leaders. Yukihime, you will accompany them as medic", Hashirama decided. "You will leave after the sun sets, in the cover of the dark".

* * *

Yukihime gathered a handful of medics along with Kazuma and they met at the rendezvous point with Tobirama and Madara who both had their teams of Senju and Uchiha. The two team leaders led the way while Yukihime brought up the rear with Kazuma by her side. A deathly silence hung over the group and a few of them were on edge.

Kazuma closed the gap between him and the white haired girl. "How long do you think they will take to break?" He asked in a whisper.

"Not long now", she replied with a thoughtful frown. She knew that at some point there would be a clash between the two leading clans and she hoped that it did not take place during their fight against the Yukimura. That would lead to too much complications and in the end, they might lose the Hoshikage's faith.

The group of ninja advanced fairly quickly during the night and they encountered no enemies on the way. When the sun came up, they slowed down to a stop on Tobirama's command to take a rest. Yukihime left her medics to distribute the food they had brought and she jumped up in a tree to take watch as the others took a small nap or did their own things.

The sound of raised voices brought her attention back to them and she was ticked off to find that a few of the men had eventually begun to fight over whether the Uchiha or the Senju should take command of the team. Tobirama caught her eye and he gave her the tiniest of nods.

And Yukihime lashed out.

She jumped down from the tree she was in and landed in between the two conflicting men. The glare she aimed at them was enough to make them wince but they held their grounds. "What's going on here?" She asked in a low voice.

"Yukihime-Sama, it was a mistake for our clan to join forces with the Uchiha", one Senju man said with hate laced in his tone.

"It's not as if we wanted to join you too!" An Uchiha shot back with equal hate and his Sharingan activated, putting the other Senju on their guards. "The Uchiha doesn't need your help".

Yukihime used her chakra infused strength to force the two men to sit down in front of her and she turned to the Uchiha, "You switch that Sharingan off right now! And you", she said turning to the man from her own clan, "Do not ever say that we were wrong in joining forces with the Uchiha".

She looked around at the guarded looks. "The Uchiha and the Senju are both very powerful clans. This alliance can work perfectly if everyone forgets what happened in the past", she told them.

"They killed my whole family!" Another Senju man spoke up. "Not even the women were spared!"

"Do you see me using the death of my brothers as an excuse?!" She retorted with a dangerous look in her dark eyes. "Did Hashi-nii-San and Tobi-nii-San ever blame the Uchiha for the loss of our brothers? Do you see any of us with bitter feelings towards each other?! If that was the case, I would have ordered my team of medics to leave everyone in the Uchiha to die. But my duty as a medic is to make sure that everyone here is looked after and taken care of to the best of my abilities. What clan you are from doesn't matter! As long as you are on my team, I will watch your backs".

"But how can you just forget?!" The man protested.

"I would like to say something", a young man from the Uchiha said as he came forward and stood next to Yukihime. "Our clans were enemies but do you remember the time when Yukihime-Sama protected us during the fight between Madara-Sama and Hashirama-Sama? She could have used her shield for the Senju only but she protected the Uchiha as well. My feelings are the same. I really believe that the Senju and the Uchiha could make a difference together. Just like Yukihime-Sama said, as long as you are on my team, I will protect you".

"Now that's a sensible person!" The girl exclaimed and she turned to the Senju man who was still sitting in front of her, "We can do this thing together. The alliance can work. Believe in it".

Yukihime turned to the two team leaders. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

She smiled when they glanced at each other and they then walked to stand in front of the group with Yukihime between them. "You said everything that was needed", Madara told her. "There's nothing else to say, isn't that right, Tobirama?"

The red eyed Senju nodded right on cue. "Now that this has been resolved, you should all sleep for a few hours. Yuki, Madara and I will keep watch", he ordered.

* * *

The group of ninja met up with the Hoshikage leader, a tall man with a shock of red hair and greenish yellow eyes. "Too many of our people have been injured and the Yukimura is pushing our line back. It won't be long until they wipe us out", he informed them.

"We're going to back you up", Tobirama said.

Madara nodded and he turned to Yukihime, "You take care of the injured".

She nodded and immediately left, spreading her team of medics out as the rest headed for the front line. She wasted no time in summoning her slugs and the healing process started. The number of injured people was staggering but Kazuma assured her that they would be able to help all of them in time.

"Yukihime-Sama!" One of the medics called in alarm. "Some of the enemies have broken through and they're attacking the camp!"

"I leave Kazuma in charge", the young girl announced and she set off to protect the camp of injured people. She was surprised at the large number of men who stood in front of her. They must have found another way to get here instead of passing through the front lines, she mused. So many of them would not have been able to pass through her brother and Madara.

"Let's have some fun, shall we?" She said pleasantly and stretched her arms casually. She scoffed when one man ran at her with his sword drawn and she threw a punch at him which cracked his ribs and punctured his lungs, killing him on the spot. Barely a second later, all of them attacked her at once and although Yukihime was enjoying the fight, she knew that she would eventually need someone to back her up or she would end up falling from exhaustion.

The arrival of the Senju and the Uchiha alliance had a great impact on the war which immediately turned in their favor. The combined strength of the two powerful clans had thrown the Yukimura back and the latter tried holding up until they were forced to retreat, leading to the victory of the Hoshikage clan and its allies.

Madara and Tobirama glanced at each other before they headed back to the camps. They had minor injuries which would not require any healing. As they approached the area for the injured, both had a look of surprise to see Yukihime standing in the middle of countless dead bodies. She was not wearing her armor, her clothes were splattered with blood and her hair too was stained red. Her eyes were tired but the dark orbs lit up when she saw the two men heading towards her.

"We did it", she said in between pants and a smile found its way on her face.

"You managed to handle every single enemy on your own", Tobirama said with slight pride.

"Already tired?" Madara asked her with a light smirk which widened when she threw him a half-hearted glare.

"Come on, I'll heal you guys".

"You're the one who needs to be healed, Yuki".

"Oh shut up. I'm the head medic, not you".

Madara watched the harmless spat between the siblings. He was sure that if Yukihime was not tired, a fight would have broken out between them.

Yukihime healed them quickly and she went to look for Kazuma to ask for his report.

"She's injured", Madara said in a low voice, his eyes not leaving the girl as she walked around.

Tobirama glanced at him briefly. "She will not rest until everyone is healed". Madara did not reply but he kept his eyes on the Senju girl.

Tobirama was puzzled. Why did Madara care about his sister?

His eyes widened when the Uchiha disappeared from his seat and turned around to see that the raven haired man had caught Yukihime before she could hit the ground from fainting. He was holding her close to his chest as he looked down to her face before meeting Tobirama's gaze.

"We should be heading back soon", Madara told him but the two of them kept their eyes on each other as if in a stare down. Neither broke the eye contact even as Madara swept Yukihime up in his arms.

Tobirama was bringing up the rear with Kazuma leading the way. The rest of the team had surrounded Madara who was carrying a still unconscious Yukihime on his back. They kept this formation all the way to Konoha where Kazuma took charge of the head medic while Tobirama dismissed everyone. However, instead to heading home, he went to his brother's office.

"Ah, Tobirama", Hashirama greeted with a smile. "Congratulations on your victory".

The younger brother nodded and said, "The Hoshikage will soon come to sign the alliance between us".

"That's really good!"

"There's something else that might interest you".

Hashirama tilted his head to the side. "What is it?"

"Madara might be in love with Yukihime and I suspect that she loves him too".

The founder of the village was speechless.

Madara and Yukihime?!

* * *

 **This was quite a short one. Just some kind of filler :P Thanks for reading!**

 **-IcedLady-**


	9. Chapter 9

Once again, Yukihime was furious.

Everyone could see that from the frown that seemed to permanently settle on her face and the dark thundercloud that followed her. For once, Tobirama was not the reason why she was in such a state.

Let's just say that she was having a bad week.

It all started when she caught a few of the medics fooling around instead of working and it was needless to say that she had unleashed the beast within her. On the same day, two Shinobi under her care had relapsed one after the other, so she barely had time to eat and take a rest. On the days that followed, the hospital was flooded with people suffering from high fever and some of the medics had been contaminated, which led to a decrease in the number of helping hands. After that, Yukihime took some time off to focus on her training and her studies. Therefore, she was barely sleeping and eating properly.

And now, she had just been told that the snobbish daughter of some rich idiot from whatever hole they crawled out of was coming to visit the new village and Yukihime had to be her guide during her stay. Well, that was the official notice. After pestering her eldest brother, he finally told her that the Lady Whatever-her-name was coming to extend an alliance with the Uchiha.

Specifically, Madara.

And the dumb prick had agreed to meet up with her.

The white haired girl headed back to her place where she took a quick shower before going in her library to take out her frustration by reading the new books that Tobirama that bought for her. Reading and learning new stuff was always a way for her to calm down. This was actually why she had her own personal library. Ever since she was a child, Yukihime had a temper which could topple over at any time. It was Hashirama who found out that books calmed her down and since then, her brothers always gave her books as presents.

So far, it had been working just fine but her anger spiked again when someone knocked at the door. The person entered the room and they froze on the spot when Yukihime spun around, throwing a handful of Shuriken which planted themselves on the door. The fact that they had brushed dangerously close to his face was what scared Kirisaki Shun the most. He had nearly lost an ear to the girl whose temper was still bubbling.

"H-H-Hi", he stuttered with a pale face.

"What are you doing here?" Yukihime snapped with a dark look.

"Food?" he replied with uncertainty as he lifted the bags in his hands.

Shun was aware that he was staring but he could not help himself. Yukihime wolfed down everything he brought for her and she looked the worse for wear. Dark circles hung under her eyes, her skin looked pale and uncared for, her hair looked like a bird's nest with the bun she had done, and the frown would not leave her face. He waited until she had finished the meal to tidy up and he pushed the bag on one side, giving her his undivided attention.

"Talk to me", he said firmly.

Yukihime looked up at him with an upturned mouth but she could see that he would not take no for an answer. She took a deep breath and began to tell him about her hellish week and the visiting Lady Whatever-from-wherever. However, she refrained from mentioning Madara at all since she had not yet completely understood the situation herself.

"That was pretty eventful", Shun said, feeling a bit sorry for her.

"Let's forget about that", she said with a shake of her head. "Tell me how come you're here".

"I want an alliance with the village so that I can bring my clan here. This lovely village would provide everything we need as well as the protection", he told her. "I just came out of my meeting with Hashirama-Sama and Madara-Sama, and I'm probably going to be able to move the clan by the end of this month".

"That's really good", she replied with a nod. "We could do with more clans coming in. We managed to get the Hoshikage clan to join us".

"Wow. That's a pretty powerful clan".

"Say, do you have people that you could spare as medics?" the dark eyed girl asked.

Shun could see the gears turning in her head. "I guess so. There are quite a few people in my clan who might actually be good medics".

He smiled when her face lit up and she looked through the papers scattered around her to hand him one with what looked like a plan drawn on it. "What is this?"

He listened carefully as Yukihime rambled off about an idea that she had for quite some time now but it could not be put in practice due to the lack of medics.

Shun didn't mind listening to her plans, although he could not understand most of the technical words that she used. All that mattered was that the frown had disappeared and she was back to her normal self.

* * *

The Senju girl brushed through her hair and although she was tempted to cut it all off, she took a deep breath and brushed through the tangles slowly. She let hair down but used a few pins to keep them out of her face. She used make up to hide her dark circles and then she stepped into black pants with the ends tucked inside her shoes, and she wore a long sleeved t-shirt which hugged her perfectly. It was hardly an attire to meet up with some rich Princess but Yukihime could not care less.

She joined her brothers and Madara who were already at the gates waiting for the visitor. She internally smirked when Hashirama looked displeased with her choice of clothes. Normally she would have listened to him since he was her brother and she loved him and all, but her lack of sleep messed with her head and all she wanted to do was tick someone off.

"You could have at least worn a dress", he said with slumped shoulders.

"You still have time to go change", Tobirama added.

"I'm not!" she replied immediately. "I freaking used make up to hide signs of tiredness. That alone speaks volume of my current state".

Madara raised an eyebrow at her but she ignored him. Oh, she still hadn't forgotten that he was the reason why she was going to be stuck babysitting a grown up.

"Hime, please do me a favor?" Hashirama asked with a gentle smile, hoping not to make her lash out. "Lady Aiko is an important political fig-"

"I'll try not to piss her off", Yukihime cut in with a shrug, causing one brother to sigh in defeat and the other to be amused.

Some ten minutes later, a carriage with guards surrounding it approached the four of them. It stopped once it was within the village and one of the guards moved to open the door to let a young woman out.

Yukihime was awed at her staggering beauty.

Aiko was quite tall with a lithe body. Her yukata fitted perfectly and there was not a crease on the expensive-looking material. Her hand was narrow with long fingers and her nails were painted a deep red to match the flowers on her pink yukata. She had a heart shaped face with full glossy lips, a small nose and smoky grey eyes which were accented by her long and thick lashes. Her silky raven hair was up in a stylish bun and several matching trinkets decorated it.

Her wide smile exposed perfectly straight white teeth and the giggle that came out was soft and melodious. There was a tiny poodle in her arms and Yukihime had the impression that it was glaring at her.

She did not dare look up at Madara's face, knowing that she would want to claw whatever expression he was making off of his face.

And if he looked back at her, he would certainly see the jealousy swimming in her eyes. After all, Yukihime knew that she was not as shockingly beautiful as Aiko.

"Good evening, Madara-Sama, Hashirama-Sama, Tobirama-Sama, and…"

"Senju Yukihime", the girl helped.

"Ah yes, of course. How silly of me", the taller one replied with what looked like an embarrassed smile. "I am Aiko from the West of the Fire Nation".

Yukihime tuned out the conversation and she followed behind when they began to walk towards the tower of the founders.

"Oh, Yukihime-San", Aiko called with a tilt of her head and beckoned the girl to walk next to her as she stroke the arrogant animal in her arms. "Didn't you know about my arrival? I see you're not dressed up for the occasion".

The white haired medic smiled brightly when she detected the taunt in her voice. "I have better things to do other than play dress up", she replied casually. "I'm the head medic, you see. So, I have tons of work to do".

The three men shivered at the cold smile that was exchanged between the two of them.

Hashirama groaned internally. Yukihime and Aiko were not going to get along and he could force neither to play nice. Technically, he could talk to his sister but she would blow up and things would get nastier. He exchanged a look with Tobirama who confirmed with a nod that nothing could be done now.

They were surprised when Aiko suddenly latched herself to Madara's arm and she began asking him questions about the village which he replied to politely.

The annoyed medic shoved her hands deep in her pockets and she strolled in front of them so that they would not see the dark look on her face.

Once they reached the office, Hashirama handed his sister a set of keys and said, "You will escort Lady Aiko to the guest house and make sure that she is comfortable".

"Yeah", came the short reply.

Aiko gasped lightly. "Is this her usual way of replying? It's so rude!"

For once, Yukihime did not hold back and she glared at the tall woman. "He's my brother. I talk to him however I please becau-"

"Yukihime".

The girl froze for a moment and she stared at her eldest brother. Somehow, she could see her father standing there with that stern look and the disappointment clear on his face.

She lowered her gaze and opted not to reply.

She felt Madara's gaze piercing her soul but strangely enough, it calmed her down.

"Please forgive her", Hashirama said with a slight laugh. "She's just a bit tired and needs to rest".

"It doesn't matter", Aiko replied with a smile and her dog gave a tiny bark.

"You are also invited to dinner with us tonight at our newest restaurant", the man continued. "Yukihime will pick you up at eight to join us".

"That would be perfect", the visitor replied with a tilt of her head and the trinkets in her hair jingled. "Thank you, Hashirama-Sama".

She then turned to Yukihime with an eyebrow raised.

"Right, follow me", the smaller girl said stiffly and she walked out swiftly, leaving Aiko and her dog to follow her a few feet behind. They soon reached a beautiful house found just a block down from the tower and Yukihime did not have to use the keys since the doors were already opened. A set of trunks had already been brought in by the guards. She placed the keys on the low table and then turned to Aiko who was looking around. "You have two hours to get ready for dinner. I'll come by when it's time", she told her.

"Why don't you stay to help me get ready?" Aiko asked with a frown.

"I need to be at the hospital", Yukihime replied monotonously. "There are people who are going to ask for me".

She left without another word and as soon as she stepped out, she let out a colorful string of curse words. She wanted to punch something hard until it was completely destroyed. How could that stupid Aiko dare to look down at her? And she had the nerve to say that she was rude when she was not!

There was a dull pain in her heart when she thought of Hashirama. It was the first time that he had sided with someone else against her. And neither Tobirama nor Madara had helped by keeping silent. Truth to be told, Yukihime had always been pampered by her brothers and no matter what, they always put her first and even her safety came before their own. In the past, there had been several times when her brothers had protected her from harm. Although Tobirama rarely showed it, Yukihime knew that he loved her as much as Hashirama did. Itama and Kawarama as well had given up a lot of things for her sake, despite the fact that she was older than them. They had always been there for her and now, suddenly everything seems to fall apart.

Ever since she could remember, this was the first time that Hashirama had looked at her such a disapproving gaze. Sure, he had done so before whenever Yukihime would prank someone but he would always laugh it off. He would hold her and pretend to be angry even if he could not help but smile.

She tried not to think about the Uchiha leader as another wave of curse words surfaced.

Yukihime entered the hospital and she checked up on everyone silently and then she entered the room which she used as an office during her shifts. She sat at her desk and did the pending paperwork for half an hour before a nurse barged in with alarm on her pretty face. "Yukihime-Sama! A platoon has been brought in and three of them need immediate help", she said quickly and both of them shot out of the room, heading for the intensive care unit.

"I want three medic teams ready to take care of the injured", Yukihime ordered.

"Yes ma'am!"

The head medic put on the scrubs given by Kazuma and the two of them silently washed their hands before going in. Once the teams came in, she went out and she created a clone of herself. "Go inform Tobi-nii-San that I won't make it in time", she commanded and her clone left immediately to carry out her order. Just as she predicted, the operations took a little over two and half hours. Leaving Kazuma in charge, Yukihime went home to get ready for the dreaded dinner.

* * *

 **I hate Aiko 0.0 She's too.. I don't even know.**

 **Tell me what you guys think!**

 **-IcedLady-**


	10. Chapter 10

Yukihime was wearing a pale blue yukata which had dark blue flowers and silver leaves. Her hair was up in a bun but several strands had escaped to frame her face. Once again, she used make up to hide the tiredness on her face and she went to the restaurant one hour after the agreed time. The sweet atmosphere did nothing to coerce her cranky attitude and she forced a smile on her face when Madara caught her eye from a table in a far corner for privacy but with an amazing view of the restaurant's back garden. Everyone looked up when she approached them and she ignored the glare in Aiko's eyes. She took her seat between Tobirama and Madara with Hashirama on the other side of Madara, and Aiko was between her brothers.

"What happened?" Hashirama asked as he offered his sister her drink and food.

"Shinra's squad was brought to the emergencies except for Umehito", Yukihime replied shortly and she sipped her drink while taking small bites of the food on her plate.

"How are they now?" He questioned.

"Stabilized and sleeping like babies. Umehito will be spending a few nights in the hospital. Kazuma will give you his report".

She felt Tobirama's stare on her face due to her short and direct answers.

"You could have sent a message to me, you know", Aiko said with a pout and a frown.

Yukihime stopped eating and she looked up at her boldly. "I sent one to Tobi-nii-San", she said and then continued eating. However, a sharp bite on her knee stiffened her posture and she looked under the table to find the stupid glaring poodle baring its teeth at her. Her eyes narrowed but she was surprised when Madara reached down and he grabbed the dog at the back of it's skinny neck.

"Please take care of your dog", he said as he handed it back to the owner who began cooing at the animal.

Aiko then looked up and said, "If none of you would mind, I would like to tour the village tomorrow. I would also need someone to accompany me when I would go shopping on the day after".

"That wouldn't be a problem", Hashirama said with a smile. "I'm sure Yukihime will be happy to be your guide".

"I'm going to be busy", the young Senju objected as she set her chopsticks down. "I have a long staff meeting tomorrow and on the next day I have to help Kazuma with the new medicines".

"Can't all that be postponed?" Aiko asked with an annoyed look.

"Aiko-San", Yukihime said firmly. "The people of this village count on me to take care of their well being. I never fell short of what was expected of me and I'm not going to start now. My village comes before anything else. However, I'm sure that Madara would be pleased to be your escort for these two days".

She stood up, refraining herself from punching the giggling woman who was eyeing the Uchiha. "Excuse me but I need to go. I still have to look after my patients", she told them and then left without glancing back at the ticked off look on Madara's face.

However, she went home and changed into more comfortable clothes before going to the hill. She had lied about going back to the hospital. Kazuma had assured her that he would take care of things and he would let her know if he needed her help. She stood still for over half an hour and somehow, the night had managed to calm her down, even for a little bit. But it could not take away the soreness of her exhausted body nor the tiredness from not sleeping well.

She jumped when Madara suddenly grabbed her elbow and he swung her around to face him. He was surprised that she had not felt his presence but from the way her eyes widened, he knew that she could feel the irritation rolling off of him.

"What the hell was that?" He asked sharply.

Something stirred in his stomach when anger flashed in her dark eyes. "Oh shut up!" She roared. "An irritating woman just gets dropped into my lap and suddenly I'm her babysitter?! Well, excuse me but I have tons of work to do and I don't have time to prance around with a snob and her stupid dog which looks like it wants to claw my eyes out! I'm already behind on my work, I don't have time to train and study, and I can barely squeeze time in for looking after myself. So, you and your pretty little princess can go to hell for all I care!"

She growled when he held her wrists behind her back with one hand and he gripped her chin tightly with the other as he pulled her flush against him. "Be careful with your tone or I'm going to have to hurt you", he hissed dangerously.

"You've hurt me before", she said darkly. "And right now, I really don't care if you do it again".

Madara narrowed his eyes when she struggled to be freed but he frowned at her lack of strength. "You've weakened", he realized but did not let her go.

"So, you finally notice", she scoffed. "You ought to get a prize for that".

She barely winced when he tightened his hand on her chin. If he did not let go, he would definitely break her jaw.

Madara was surprised when Yukihime suddenly stopped struggling and her body relaxed, her shoulders slumped. He expected her to fight him until he let her go but here she was, leaning against him as if defeated.

"I'm so tired", she said softly. "I just want to sleep and never wake up".

Madara looked down and found her eyes closed with her head resting against his chest. He shifted his hands so as to hold her and Yukihime snuggled closer.

"Can we sit?" she asked and Madara lowered them both to the ground. He shifted her in a more comfortable position as he lied down with Yukihime halfway on top of him. He felt her breathing evening out and he looked up at the stars which winked down at him.

What the hell was he doing?

* * *

Yukihime's back was cold despite of the sun that shone down on her. She shifted closer to the warm body in front of her and arms wrapped themselves around her waist in an attempt to shield her from the cold.

Wait.

Sun? Arms?!

Her dark eyes flew open and she scrambled out of the person's reach with her guard up. Madara was staring at her with an amused look. When she looked around, she understood the situation. They had both fallen asleep on the hill the night before.

She relaxed and from the sun's position, she knew that it was roughly around six in the morning.

"Staff meeting", she suddenly remembered. "I'm going to be late!"

She shuffled close to the raven haired man and she surprised him with a gentle kiss before she ran off to get ready.

She made it just in time and she started the meeting. It was close to noon when it ended and Yukihime invited Kazuma to catch lunch with her. The two of them spent a good time together away from work and once they were done, they went back to the hospital.

Yukihime was secretly pleased that she didn't have to bear Aiko for the day although she felt sorry for throwing the woman into Madara's lap. She was slowly catching up with her paperwork and no emergencies came to her yet. She just wished for the rest of the day to go by as peacefully as the morning did. She smiled to herself when she remembered waking up on the hill but she hid it behind a blank face when the door opened and one of her newest medic poked her head in.

"Yukihime-Sama, we have a bit of a problem", she said hesitantly.

"What is it?"

"A woman is demanding to be shown around the hospital and she's trying to force her way in the restricted area".

Yukihime had a feeling that she knew who it was and she walked out of her office with the nurse right behind her. They went in the east wing of the building and Yukihime could hear voices from down the corridor.

"...to let me in! Do you know who I am?! One letter from my father is all that would be needed to shut this place down!"

And Yukihime was right.

Aiko was arguing against the five medics who were trying to stop her from going any further. Madara was standing in the background, pretending not to know anyone.

"What's going on here?" She demanded as she approached the group with quick strides. "This is a hospital, not a freaking playground".

"Ah, Yukihime-San!" Aiko called and she skipped towards the younger girl with her dog jumping about her legs. "Your staff are being rude to me. They're not letting me go in when all I want to do is inspect the place".

Yukihime threw a look at the medics and they lowered their eyes. "Please carry on with your work and thank you for waiting until I arrived", she told them and each one bowed before leaving.

Aiko's grey eyes widened. "How can you just let them go?! They were rude to me! I am the daughter of-"

"They did what was right", Yukihime cut in firmly. "This area is not accessible to anyone unless they have my authorization".

"Then let me in", the taller woman demanded with a frown and her dog growled at Yukihime.

"Are you a doctor?" The white haired girl asked sharply, catching Aiko by surprise. "Do you have any certificate stating that you are a qualified medical personnel? Do you have an official inspection notice for my hospital in your possession? If not, I'm going to have to ask you to leave right now".

"You can't talk to me like that! My father can-"

"This is _my_ hospital, _my_ territory. Either you abide by the rules or I kick you out", Yukihime interrupted none too gently. "One, you are disturbing my patients with all the noise you're making. Two, animals are not allowed in the building except for summons. And three, you are wasting my time with this useless discussion. You want your father to shut this place down? He won't once he hears that I'm the person who runs it. And for your kind information, even if the Feudal lord was in your place, I would have kicked him out too. Now get out".

Aiko blushed furiously and she scooped her poodle in her arms as she ran out.

Madara smirked when Yukihime walked towards him with an annoyed look. "You brought her here, didn't you?"

She aimed a light punch at him when he did not answer and he caught her fist before she could hit him. "Don't even try", he told her. "I spared you last night, I'm not gonna do it again".

Yukihime snatched her hand and she went back inside without a glance at him.

* * *

Hashirama entered the office and he took the stairs to Yukihime's personal quarters. He found her sitting on the floor of her living room with a few scrolls scattered around as she worked on a new jutsu, something to do with the bowl of water in front of her.

"Hime", he called with a bright smile. He caught the brief pause in her movements but she didn't look up at him.

"What do you need?" She asked dryly.

"You usually pass by my office everyday but I didn't see you today", he said casually.

Yukihime suppressed the hurt she felt in her chest. "I'm busy these days", she replied and then scribbled something on a paper next to her, forcing her mind to focus on the jutsu and not on her brother.

"Too busy to even see me?"

She inhaled deeply and then looked up with a frown. "I'm working on something important here. If there's no urgent matter then please leave. I don't have enough time as it is", she told him.

"Hime, I-"

"No!"

The older man was caught off-guard by the naked pain in her blurry eyes.

"Can you just go away?" She asked fiercely.

Hashirama nodded calmly and he left her. But once outside, he rubbed his face tiredly.

"I told you that she would hold a grudge", Tobirama said as he came out of the shadows.

"There were tears in her eyes, Tobirama. God, what have I done to her?" The elder Senju groaned and he looked up at the light in her window. "Go to her, please".

"You love her too much, don't you?" The red eyed Shinobi said and he used his body flicker jutsu to appear in his sister's house. She didn't even look up when he walked towards her and he sat on her left with his back leaning against the wall. There was a sharp pain in his chest when he saw tears dropping on her scroll and her hands were shaking badly. No words were exchanged and Yukihime shuffled to sit next to him against the wall. She lowered her head into his lap and she fisted his pants when he placed a comforting hand on her head.

 _'No, we both love her too much'._

* * *

 **I can't bear Aiko. She gets on my nerves. Who hates her too?**

 **-IcedLady-**


	11. Chapter 11

She looked like she had a good rest, Madara noticed as he entered her house and he saw her making food for lunch. Her silvery white hair was up in a messy bun and she was wearing a pink shirt and bright green pants. She didn't seem to notice his arrival and so, he sneaked up on her, and bit her lower jaw. He nearly chuckled when she jumped and made a squealing sound before turning around with her eyes wide and her cheeks bright red.

"What are you doing here?" She asked and turned the stove off. "Oh, I won't be able to meet you on the hill tonight. I have the night shift".

"That's good because I'm going to be busy too", Madara replied and he caught her by surprise when he lifted her up onto the table and he pressed his mouth to hers. He smirked into the kiss when she responded at once and she locked her ankles around his waist to keep him in place.

"Oh", she gasped when he trailed kisses down to her throat and she angled her head so he could have better access. Her grip on his shoulders tightened when he kissed a particularly sensitive area.

"Aiko is coming to visit the Uchiha compound tonight", he said against her skin.

It was enough to snap her back to reality and Yukihime let go of him, leaning away from his touch. "Good way to ruin the moment, Uchiha", she seethed with a dark frown and she shoved him off to get off the table.

"It's funny how you can easily switch moods", he said with narrowed eyes.

"It's funny how you can kiss one girl during the day and then another at night", she hissed back and was too late to realize that what she said was wrong. She had to duck to avoid the hit aiming for her face.

"Wait!" She exclaimed in alarm when a furious Madara trapped her between the table and himself. "That was out of line! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I was not thinking. I'm sorry", she apologized quickly.

"Is that what you think of me?" He spat angrily.

"Nonononono, I was not thinking", she repeated and placed her hands against his chest. "That was a mistake on my part".

"If you said it, then you must have meant it", he retorted.

"No! I-I-I d-don't understand", she stuttered. "What are we?"

Madara's anger disappeared with the gentleness in her voice when she questioned him. He leaned down, catching her lips in a quick kiss. "You tell me", he said and then vanished in thin air.

Yukihime felt her chest tightening and her stomach did several somersaults. She groaned and covered her eyes with her hand.

She was in love with Uchiha Madara.

* * *

There were no major cases to be handled at the hospital and Yukihime had some free time to look over her notes. She barely lifted her head when Kazuma entered the small office. He sat at his own desk and each worked in silence.

It was not until the next day that things stirred up again.

Aiko had been kidnapped.

Actually, it all started when Tobirama had cornered Yukihime on the way home.

"What is your relationship with Madara?" He asked without beating around the bush.

Yukihime faltered for a second and she replied, "What do you mean?"

"That brief hesitation already answered my question but I want you to say it", he pressed with his eyes narrowed at her.

"There's nothing", she insisted.

"Very well", he said and then disappeared.

Yukihime's heart hammered in her chest. Tobirama would never accept her relationship with Madara, she realized. That was enough to dampen her mood and once home, she received a message from Hashirama to urgently meet up in the founders' office.

"Come on, girl. Don't you dare break down in front of him like last night", she murmured to herself and then took to the roofs. She entered the office through the window and saw that her brothers and Madara were already inside.

"What is it?" She immediately asked.

"Lady Aiko has been taken", Hashirama said with worry.

Yukihime raised an eyebrow and she turned to the other two men.

"She has been kidnapped right under our nose", Tobirama clarified.

"Who's our suspect?"

"It's an organized band of rogues", Madara said with his eyes hard. "We received word that they would give her back only if we hand you over".

Her eyebrows shot up under her bangs. "Well, let's give them what they want", she suggested.

"Are you insane?" Tobirama shot with a glare. "We're not giving you up. We'll find some other way".

Yukihime made herself comfortable on the window sill and she crossed her arms over her chest. "Listen to me", she said. "Put your mark on me and send me in. Get some of our sneakiest ninja to shadow me if that makes you more comfortable. The rogues will let that woman go once I'm in their hands and I'm gonna unleash hell on them. Twenty minutes top and you come in".

"You're not taking this seriously!" Hashirama scolded. "You're putting your life on the line here! Hime, we can find an alternative".

"I'm still not talking to you", the girl growled at him and he paled. She then turned to the others, "Whether you want it or not, I'm going in".

Tobirama exhaled tiredly. "Let me put the seal on you", he said as he beckoned her closer.

"Tobirama!" Hashirama exclaimed when no one took his side.

"I'll be going along", Madara said. "Both Yukihime and Aiko will be safe".

Hashirama said nothing.

"Lift your pant leg. I'll put it at the back of your knee", Tobirama said and he knelt down. Yukihime did as he asked and she barely felt his hand on her, but the seal felt cool on her skin.

"Let's move out, we'll plan on the way", she said and then jumped out through the window with Madara close behind her.

"Take care of her", Hashirama told his younger brother and he watched as all three disappeared from sight. He knew that Yukihime would be able to protect herself but this was not a war where once in a while he could keep an eye on her. He just hoped that the two men would do his part of the job.

Tobirama had gathered a few men to go on the rescue mission and the group was sitting in the cover of trees so that they could plan the attack.

"Yukihime will go in with Akashi Kirito", Madara instructed. "The rest of you will form teams of two and surround the place without letting the enemies know of your presence. Once the captive is taken out for the exchange, Tobirama and I will teleport ourselves inside and commence the attack. This will be your signal to start attacking from the outside. Our priority is to make sure that Yukihime and the captive are both safe".

"Right, and Kirito, should anything go wrong, activate a few paper bombs to warn us and we'll come right in", Tobirama spoke up. "Yukihime has good defense and offense but the Lady Aiko has neither. Get her out first".

A chorus of agreements went around and the team of 10 people set off towards their destination. It was after a few hours that Tobirama stopped and commanded everyone to take their positions.

Madara signaled Yukihime when it was time for her to go and she gave him a curt nod before walking away with Kirito by her side. The two of them entered the enemy camp and they were stopped by two masked men who immediately escorted them in the middle of the ruined buildings.

A few seconds later, a tall man came out and he approached the pair. "I didn't think you would come so easily", he told the short girl.

"Oh, I wouldn't", she confirmed. "But you see, even if I don't really like her, it is not reason enough for her to be harmed in my place".

"How nice of you", he mocked and then nodded to one of his men who went inside a building and he came out a moment later with a struggling Aiko who had a cloth muffling her screams and a rope was used to tie her hands behind her back. Her eyes widened and tears welled in them when she saw the youngest Senju.

"My comrade here", Yukihime said and motioned to Kirito, "will take her away. No one is to harm them or I'll kill each one of you slowly".

The tall man laughed. "You're in no position to bargain!"

Yukihime and Kirito jumped out of the way just in time to avoid the barrage of weapons which were thrown at them. Kirito immediately threw a few kunai knives which had paper bombs on them. The two of them used the explosion as cover and the ruins became a battlefield. The white haired medic ran past a few enemies and she was about to grab Aiko but someone pulled her back and Yukihime was saved from being killed by three giant Shurikens. She turned around and found that it was her brother and Madara who had saved her. They nodded at each other, their own personal signal, before unleashing their best attacks.

The ground shook and cracked when Yukihime threw her most powerful punch. The air was warmed by Madara's fire jutsu, and Tobirama used his body flicker technique to take down the enemies quickly.

"Don't touch me!"

The shrieking voice caught Yukihime's attention and she made a beeline for it, succeeding in pulling Aiko out of the way of harm. "You stay here", she ordered the older woman who nodded furiously. "If the bad guys try to take you, scream as loud as you can".

She turned back to the battle and her hands sped through a series of hand seals. "Crystal release: Angel Spear!"

She heard Aiko gasp as crystal spears began shooting from the ground rapidly, impaling several enemies but somehow, not harming her friends.

"Your right!" Aiko warned and Yukihime kicked the attacker back with a chakra enhanced leg. He flew back into a wall which crumbled down on top of him. She threw the shocked woman a glance before joining the fray.

It didn't take long to kill all enemies what's with the abilities of Madara and Tobirama who annihilated most of them. The ground was littered with dead bodies and pools of blood. The red liquid was splattered everywhere but to Aiko's horror, no one seemed to care. "We did it", one of the men said with a chuckle. The others cheered and Tobirama smiled while Madara stayed silent.

"Well, I'm not done yet", Yukihime said with her hands on her hips. "Line up, I'll heal your worst injuries before we head back or you might get an infection", she ordered.

"It's okay, Yukihime-Sama. We are-"

"Shut up!" She barked and the man paled. "I'm the medic, so line up quietly or I'll have to knock all of you out cold".

Everyone did as they were told except for Madara and Tobirama who stood by the side.

They all seemed to have forgotten about Aiko who still had a terrified look on her face. So, this was the life of a ninja, she realized. The blood on their hands no longer bothered them. They made it look so easy. However, she could not understand how a girl could bear the burden of being a ninja. Yukihime was limping due to injury she received when several Shurikens had embedded themselves in her left thigh, her clothes were bloody and there were rips in them from the cuts the enemies had made. But she was smiling and joking around while healing the men.

"Now we're done", Yukihime said. The team disposed of the dead bodies and they all headed back. Tobirama offered to carry Aiko so that they could go faster through the trees. They were put in between Madara and Yukihime who acted as guards while the rest of the team led the way.

"Yuki-"

"Don't talk", Yukihime interrupted without looking at the woman. "You still piss me off".

For once, Aiko did not fight her and the rest of the journey was silent. Madara dispatched everyone once they were within the village. He accompanied the Senju siblings and Aiko back to the tower where his childhood friend was waiting for them.

"Thank goodness you're all safe", Hashirama said and he heaved a sigh.

"I'm so sorry", Aiko said in a wavering voice as the tears fell from her eyes. "I was awful to all of you. I never thought that being a ninja could be so dangerous so I took it lightly. You see, I never had to do anything by myself because I always had people helping me around. That's why I thought there was no such things as danger".

"Aiko-San, it's okay", Hashirama comforted her. "We all make mistakes".

"Thank you for your kindness, Hashirama-Sama", she said timidly and then looked at Yukihime who was healing her leg. "Yukihime-San, I behaved so rudely towards you and I have hurt you. I don't deserve to be forgiven".

"That's right, you don't", Yukihime replied as she straightened herself and Aiko lowered her head shamefully. "Your arrival felt like the plague entering my village, your very presence irritated me, your every word pissed me off, and on almost every occasion I wanted to punch your face in".

She noticed how the men stiffened and Aiko looked ready to run like a rabbit. "But if you apologize then I guess I should forgive you. We rubbed each other the wrong way and it all went down from there", she said and then walked to the door. "You're welcome to come by anytime".

She left the three men to deal with the crying woman, and Yukihime went home to take a shower. She was putting on her clothes when she felt Hashirama entering her home. Once she was done, she put a frown on her face and she went out in the living room. Her brother was standing in the middle of the room silently waiting for her.

"What is it?" she asked, despite knowing what was going to happen.

"Hime, I'm sorry for the other day", he said softly and the hurt appeared in his eyes.

"You scared me!" she suddenly yelled and the tears blurred her vision. "One moment you were right there and the next I could see our Father standing where you-"

The rest of the sentence drowned in her tears and Hashirama wrapped her smaller body in his arms. "I'm so sorry, my love. Please don't cry. I'm sorry".

His heart lightened when she grasped his clothes and mumbled incoherent words in between her sobs. He could not help but chuckle, and for the first time in years, he tucked her in bed and kissed her goodnight.

* * *

 **Yes! Aiko is now out of the picture. Looks like everything is going smoothly now, isn't it?**

 **-IcedLady-**


	12. Chapter 12

Madara and Hashirama were standing on the cliff overlooking the village they both built together. It was amazing how it had grown so beautifully in a short span of time. From where they stood, the inhabitants looked tiny as they walked down the streets and once in a while, they could spot a ninja running on the roofs.

"Do you remember how we used to talk here when we were kids?" Hashirama asked fondly.

"Yeah", Madara replied in a similar tone as the memories flooded back to him. The two of them had sat on the cliff, making plans of building their settlement right where the village now stood.

The wind whistled, carrying fallen leaves, and Madara extended his arm, catching one of them as it passed by his fingers. "I thought we were just talking about our dream", he said. "They say where there is a will, there is a way. And yet, I..."

"This dream is now becoming a reality", Hashirama told him with a smile. "The leader of Shinobi who protects the Land of Fire from the shadows. The Fire Shadow or Hokage. Well?"

"What's that supposed to be?" The raven haired man asked, puzzled at his friend's words.

"The Land of Fire requests that we select someone who will represent the village", the Senju leader explained. "I'm considering naming you to be our leader... The Hokage. You no longer have any siblings left, but I'd like you to think of all the village Shinobi as your siblings. I want you to protect them with all your might".

Madara lowered his gaze with a light frown. "Even though I couldn't protect my own Uchiha brethren?" He asked.

Hashirama silently looked at Madara and he was troubled to find a worried expression on his face. He thought about the brothers that he lost and the many times that he had cried for them. He could understand how Madara felt since they both had lost their precious siblings in the war.

"This is no time to get weak", he said strongly. "In addition to the Uchiha and Senju, we already have the Hoshikage and Kirisaki clans on our side. Now, it seems like the Sarutobi and Shimura clans want to join us too".

"Are you serious?" Madara asked with eyes that widened slightly.

"And there are many others too", Hashirama confirmed. "This village is going to keep expanding. We're going to need to come up with a name for the village too. Any thoughts?"

Madara was surprised that he was asking him for suggestions. He looked at the leaf in his hand and he brought it close to his eye, looking at the village through the tear in it. "How about... Konohagakure no Sato?" He asked with a hint of hesitance.

Hashirama deadpanned and his shoulders slumped, depressed. "It's too simple and not imaginative", he replied. "You called it as exactly as you saw it".

"How is it different from Hokage?!" Madara yelled, a bit annoyed at his friend's dramatics. "And you still have that habit of getting depressed easily!"

Both of them exhaled and Madara asked, "So you're saying the role of the Hokage is to stay in the village and protect everyone?"

"There's that", the other replied with a pensive look. "But he'll be even more significant. As village-building picks up speed, the Hokage will get busier too. That's why I want to have your likeness carved into this cliff at our feet. As a symbol of our village's protector!"

"You've got to be kidding", Madara hoped when he realized that Hashirama's crazy ideas were starting to surface.

"Well, your face is too stern", the Senju continued teasingly. "It will have to be softened here and there".

"At least it beats that sad mug of yours!" Madara replied with a smile that threatened to appear.

He was baffled when Hashirama got depressed again. "Is it that sad?" He nearly wailed.

Madara laughed. "Yeah, it's beyond that".

"Is that so..."

"There you are", a voice called from behind them and they turned around to find Tobirama who had the same look as Yukihime when she was angry. "What are you dawdling here for?! The Feudal lords from the Land of Fire will soon be here for the conference!"

Hashirama did not miss the hostile look between the two other men.

* * *

"Hashirama", Tobirama called to get the man's attention away from his papers.

"What is it?" The new Hokage asked.

"You should do something about Madara and Yuki. It looks like they're getting more serious about each other", the white haired man said with narrowed eyes. "I don't approve of my sister dancing around with the Uchiha leader. Some people are already starting to talk about them".

"This is Hime we're talking about", Hashirama reminded him. "Whatever we say or do, she'll follow her heart".

"And it's going to break her apart".

Hashirama was left with a bad taste in his mouth.

* * *

"So now my brother is the leader of our village, of Konohagakure no Sato", Yukihime said and she sat down with her legs crossed. Madara was standing a few feet in front of her with his back to her. He had been silent for quite some time now. She had a feeling that something was bothering him but she decided to wait for him to speak without her pushing at him.

"He'll be a good Hokage", he then said and walked towards her. Yukihime stood up and she snaked her arms around his waist in a hug. When she tilted her head back to look at him, Madara saw a hazy look in her dark eyes. He felt a pull in his stomach and he closed his eyes against it, lowering his forehead to hers.

"Take me to bed", she whispered.

His eyes snapped open in shock and he leaned back at once. "What?"

"Take me to bed", she repeated with more certainty in her voice. Her eyes betrayed nothing and she made sure that he could see her true feelings for him. "You know we both want it. I don't want to wait any longer, so take me".

Madara blocked all the reasonable side of his thoughts and he teleported them to her place. It was now or never, he thought and for the rest of the night, he drowned his senses in her.

* * *

Yukihime was glowing. At least this was how she was feeling. There was a dull throb in between her legs but it felt good. Specially with Madara lying next to her, one hand lazily splayed on her naked ribs and his other arm around her shoulders.

She had lost her virginity to the Uchiha leader, someone who Tobirama would never give his approval for them to be together. Hashirama was not a problem since Yukihime would be able to make him understand that her feelings for Madara is not something temporary. But she was worried about what the younger brother might say or do.

"I'm having problems with the clan", Madara suddenly said.

Yukihime turned towards him with a light frown. "What problems?"

He opened his mouth to speak but he shook his head. "I'm sorry. This is not the time for it", he apologized and he lowered his lips to her neck as he rolled on top of her.

Yukihime exhaled shakily from the feel of his mouth on her throat, and she felt a familiar pull in her stomach but she pushed it back. She shrunk slightly and pulled the man up so she could look at his face. "Tell me", she coerced.

Madara stared at her flushed face and he sighed, rolling onto his back and he poured everything out to her. It was then that the young woman realized that he was under a severe tension in his own clan and as the leader, he had to bear it all.

"I hope that you find a solution soon", she said supportively.

The older man hushed her and he pulled her on top of him, his eyes burning with desire. "Again".

* * *

Madara woke up alone. Yukihime's scent was all around him but there was no sight of the woman herself. He got out of the bed, pulled on his pants and he followed a faint humming sound which led him to the kitchen. Yukihime was there with her back to him as she stirred the food she was preparing. He silently came up from behind her and he elicited a soft moan from her when he kissed her lower jaw with slight bites.

"That's a greeting I would very much like to get used to", she murmured with a smile. She turned off the stove and turned around to hug the Uchiha but she froze when she came upon his naked chest.

Madara smirked and he took a few steps back until he was leaning against the small table in the middle of the kitchen. "There's no need to blush", he said when her face turned an amusing shade of red. "You saw it all last night".

"It's not like I can control it!" she retorted and lowered her gaze in embarrassment. "Go tidy up or something. I'll set up the table in the meantime".

"Or we can do something else", he suggested and he pulled her into his arms, teasing her lips with a kiss. Yukihime squealed in surprise when he suddenly swept her into his arms. "We have time for another round".

The heat between her legs throbbed when he threw her down on the bed and he began to ravish her mouth.

After breakfast, Madara used the cover of the forest behind the Senju's home to leave so that no one would question his presence at her place when the sun had just peeked out from behind the mountains. Yukihime headed to the hospital feeling like she was going to have a good day ahead. True enough, work was not hectic, she found time to practice and study, and it was as if there was nothing that could ruin her day. In fact, nothing ruined her whole week. The hospital was calm, save for a few sudden cases of Shinobi being brought in. Every night Madara came to her place and he would leave after breakfast. Sure, they would bicker once in a while but there was nothing that could ruin their moments together.

It was during that week that Madara realized he could get used to going to sleep with a woman in his arms and waking up to her sitting at a table reading a book while she waited for him so they could have breakfast together. He could get used to seeing that woman like a total wreck but not caring about her looks as she told him about her new ideas for the hospital or the village in general. And he certainly welcomed the idea of coming back home to a woman who would wait for his return.

For that, he wanted no other than Yukihime.

* * *

Hashirama had dispatched his sister along with a team to deliver a scroll in the east of the Fire Nation. The mission had taken four days due to an unexpected ambush on the way but all members came back safely. The night of their return, the heavy rain had soaked all of them and Yukihime headed home. A tensed silence filled the building when she realized that Madara was not there. Perhaps he was busy, she decided but could not shrug the tension off.

There was something terribly wrong.

Yukihime was right about her feelings when Madara did not meet up with her for the following days. It was as if he made it a point not to cross path with her again and she rarely saw him in the founders' office. Still, she continued visiting the hill every night, hoping that he would show up soon.

* * *

 **The story is speeding up now. The village has been named, Hashirama has been chosen as Hokage, Yukihime and Madara are getting more and more involved with each other. That sweetness is already fading.**

 **-IcedLady-**


	13. Chapter 13

**I feel so terrible after writing this chapter :(**

* * *

The dark sky was clear and the moon shone right over the hill. Despite feeling the calm rolling over the village, Yukihime tasted the tension in the air. She turned around when she heard footsteps behind her and her heart nearly stopped when she saw Madara clad in full armor. There was a strange detached look in his dark eyes and Yukihime knew that nothing good would come from whatever he was planning.

"You can still work it out", she said softly and the wind added a whisper to her voice. "There's no need for all of this".

"My clan left my side", he said monotonously but she could see the rage bubbling in his eyes. "I have nothing left".

"We can find a solution!" She persisted with a determined look. However, a thin layer of tears coated her emotion. "We can talk to my brothers and I'm sure that we're going to find something! Give it one more chance, Madara. You'll get nothing from fighting. Listen to-"

"I'm leaving Konohagakure", he interrupted calmly. He felt his heart squeezing in his chest when a confused but scared look came on her pretty face.

"What do you mean you're leaving? I thought that you were going to fight the council", she said and the cold wind wrapped itself around her shaking body.

"I have nothing that I can call mine here", he told her and he stepped close to her smaller frame, placing his right hand over her cheek as his thumb brushed her soft skin. "I confronted Hashirama about it. He said that he would make me Second Hokage but we all know that Tobirama would be the one to take that title. He would use this as an opportunity to eliminate the Uchiha".

Yukihime could not say anything. Madara was right. Tobirama never considered the Uchiha as his comrades and given the first chance, he might even draw a line between the Uchiha and the village.

"The clan does not trust me anymore", he continued. "I failed to protect my younger brother and now, it seems like I won't be able to keep the promise I made to him about protecting the Uchiha".

"What are you going to do then?" She asked, knowing that she was going to lose him.

"I have found a different path to take to make my true dreams come true. Until then, we're going to cross paths again as enemies, not lovers".

"Why did you come here?" She asked and hated the crack in her voice. "You could have left without telling me".

Madara chuckled and he lowered his forehead to hers. "You still don't understand, do you? Even after all this time", he whispered.

The Senju girl bit back a sob when he kissed her gently and agonizingly slowly as if committing the feel of her lips to memory. She pulled back and nuzzled his cheek. "Take me with you".

Her heart broke when he shook his head. "It's going to be a dangerous path and it would be better for you to stay back. This way I won't have to look behind every time to see if you're still alive or not".

She punched him weakly and Madara caught her fist in his warm hand. "I'm a medic, you dolt", she said through her tears. "I'm not going to be killed that easily".

"I won't, Yukihime", he said firmly but at the same time, gently.

"Show me", she whispered and Madara immediately activated his Sharingan. He used the Dojutsu to capture her face in his memory forever. He was slightly annoyed by the tears but he had to admit that even in such a state she still looked as beautiful as always. "I really wished we had more time together", she said softly and a smile came on her lips. "Enough time for us to tell our clans about our relationship. Enough time for us to move in our own home. Enough time for us to have a family".

Madara was taken aback by her confession.

"So you do love me", he said with a smirk once he had recovered.

"It's not like I can help it", she mumbled and closed her eyes when he kissed her again.

As soon as she looked at him again, Madara put her under a Genjutsu and she slowly fell under a deep sleep. But not before her heart screamed in pain at his words.

"We belong to each other, for I love you as you love me".

* * *

Kazuma sighed worriedly when he found Yukihime staring out of the window again. Something was bothering her and he was pretty sure that it had something to do with Uchiha Madara. After all, even the Hokage looked to be in a similar state ever since the leader of the Uchiha left the village on his own. The young medic was not blind to see that Yukihime had been deeply affected even though she hid it behind a blank expression. On several occasions he had tried to make her spill everything but it was of no use.

Senju Yukihime was a hard one to crack.

By the end of the month, a handful of clans had joined Konoha and Yukihime was thrown into more work. She was signing some papers in her office when Kirisaki Shun came in with a bright smile.

"Let's go", he told her without any form of greeting.

"Go where?" She asked with a slight frown. She gasped when he pulled her out of her seat and he literally dragged her out of the hospital. Once outside, Shun swept her up in his arms and he took to the roofs, heading for the mountain where the Hokage's face had been sculpted. He landed on top of the cliff and he set the young woman down.

She leaned away when his smile suddenly turned into a frown. "What's wrong?" He demanded. "I found Hashirama-Sama in a similar state and according to Tobirama, it's because Uchiha Madara left".

He noted the wince when he spoke of the Uchiha. "Did he harm you?" He asked cautiously.

"He put me under a Genjutsu the night he left!" She snapped with cold and dark fury in her eyes. "He came to see me and he had the freaking nerve to put me to sleep".

"I still don't see what is so terribly wrong", he admitted after a moment. "Except for the fact that apparently you didn't get to hurt him as payback".

"He used his stupid Dojutsu on me right after we made it clear that we love each other!" She yelled and Shun was stunned. He had not yet fully grasped the situation when tears sprung to her eyes and all her fury melted into hurt. "He refused to take me with him saying that I would die if I accompanied him. That idiot underestimates me! He left just like that".

She reached inside her pocket and she produced a silver medallion which had the Uchiha crest on it. "I found this in my hand when I came to", she said tearfully. "But it was too late. He was already gone".

Shun gathered her in his arms and for the first time, he saw the strong woman crumble into a broken one. Yukihime was known to be a fierce Kunoichi with a strong heart and mind. Many said that it was difficult to see through her barriers. However, it looked like Madara had broken through them almost effortlessly. She had weakened against him and anything about him made her soft.

"So Madara was the one who captured your heart", he said and expecting no answer from her, he simply held her as she cried her heart out.

* * *

Tobirama leant against his brother's table with his arms crossed over his chest. Neither of his siblings were in their usual moods since both were uncharacteristically silent. Hashirama had called her in to tell her about yet another marriage proposal that came in for her but Yukihime had flat out refused it even before knowing who her suitor was.

"Yuki, what's wrong?" He asked in a low voice.

"Everything is", she replied wetting her lips and keeping her gaze to the view she had of the village. "Yet nothing is".

"You don't make sense", he said with a frown.

"It's been a few days since I don't make sense to myself", she revealed with a dry chuckle. "Just when I thought everything was going to be okay, it all tumbles down as if to mock me".

"Yuki".

"Madara left even though he knew that I loved him".

The Senju brothers were shocked by her confession. "Yukihime!" Hashirama exclaimed. "What are you going on about?"

"I love him", she repeated and then stood up. "It's been a while since he knew".

"He is an Uchiha!" Tobirama lashed out as he stood up straight. "Did you really forget that he killed our brothers? Now even after he left you don't realize that-"

"That doesn't make him any less human!" She shouted back. "He is an Uchiha, I am a Senju but that doesn't mean we should forever be enemies. The wrong part is that there are still many people who don't trust the Uchiha even for their sacrifices. I'm not saying that they are right because some of their decisions have been wrong. However, why doesn't anyone give it a try?! You're the ones who don't make sense anymore!"

Hashirama held Tobirama back when Yukihime stormed out. "Let her be", he said tiredly and Tobirama sighed.

* * *

Yukihime was on the way back home from the hospital when the ground shook ominously under her feet. Her senses focused on something behind the mountain but when she saw Hashirama jump out through the window of his office, she knew what was happening.

"Everyone, go home immediately!" She barked and the frightened citizens scurried away at once. Yukihime spread the order around and she soon found herself running together with Tobirama and a few more Shinobi.

"We're going to set a perimeter around the village", he ordered. " Should any of you encounter anything, flare your chakra and I'll send help. Inform the others".

The men spread out and in almost no time, Konohagakure was being protected by men and women who were ready to face anything coming their way.

"What about Hashi-nii-San?" Yukihime asked firmly.

"He'll come back safely", Tobirama said with a nod.

They braced themselves when an explosion shook the ground again and a bright light was seen towards where Madara was battling Hashirama. The sky rumbled and it began to rain.

"It looks like it's over", Tobirama said but he was not prepared to see the grief-stricken face of his sister.

When the tension in the air had faded, Yukihime felt like her heart was being crushed. On one hand, she was relieved that she could still sense Hashirama's Chakra but that of Madara had vanished. Her world suddenly felt smaller and it was getting difficult to breathe normally. She flinched away when Tobirama reached out to her and everything blurred as she stumbled back and she set off for the valley with haste. She skidded to a stop when she came upon a tired Hashirama who was on the brink of fainting. Yukihime wrapped her arms around his waist as support but he did not walk forth. Instead he held the girl close to him.

"I'm so sorry", he said with grief and tears pricked his eyes when she wailed and screamed as she clung on to him. Her voice echoed to the sky and the moon hid behind a veil of dark clouds in mourning.

* * *

 **I'm so sorryyyyyyyyy! Please don't cry TT_TT Poor Yuki...**

 **-IcedLady-**


	14. Chapter 14

**Two months later**

Yukihime leaned against the sink in her bathroom with her arms as support. She was shivering and she could see the fear in the eyes of her reflection. Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she placed her right hand over her flat stomach and her chakra glowed softly. She frowned in concentration and a sudden gasp escaped her when she felt a faint trace of chakra react to hers.

"Nonononono", she mumbled in slight panic and tears filled her eyes. She repeated the process and she broke down when the second chakra source in her body responded again. Her arm curled around her belly and bit back the sobs, forcing herself to stand up. She washed her face hurriedly and went to see the only person who could help her find a solution.

She entered the Senju compound and walked through the beautiful garden, heading straight for the main house. A maid slid the door open when she knocked and the older woman led her to the smaller living room. Yukihime paled when she found her brothers in company of Senju Mito, born Uzumaki.

"Yuki, it's been a while", Tobirama greeted with a small smile.

Ever since the death of the Uchiha leader, Yukihime had made herself rare due to her grief and she had only recently started to socialize again. Even though she was not that close to her sister-in-law, the latter had welcomed her crying self with open arms and the two had formed a bond of trust between them.

"You look sick", Hashirama added with concern. "What's wrong?"

Mito noted how the young woman lowered a guilty gaze before she looked up at her with a fleeting look of despair. "Come on now", she said to get the men's attention. "Yu-Chan and I need some girl-to-girl time".

Hashirama rolled his eyes but both men stood up to leave. He ruffled his sister's hair on his way out and Tobirama leaned down to kiss her forehead. Once the two women were alone, Yukihime sat down on a cushion in front of the red haired woman and she played with her fingers as distraction.

"You're not well", Mito said softly. She shuffled forward and wrapped Yukihime in her arms when the medic sobbed uncontrollably. She was puzzled as to what could have made Yukihime so upset and it certainly was no more because she was hurting over Madara. She had personally made sure that the white haired girl was well over him.

"I'm such a disgrace. I failed all of you. I ruined everything!" Yukihime wailed, her hands gripping Mito's shoulders as if she was her lifeline.

"Yu-Chan, I don't understand", Mito said slowly and she pulled the girl away, wiping her tears from her flushed cheeks.

Yukihime licked her lips and she pushed her hair back, gathering her courage. "I… I'm pregnant", she said and her voice cracked.

Mito was stunned. She swallowed several times to find the proper words but all that came to her was the need to let her tongue run freely, which would end with her screaming at the scared medic.

"That was stupid", she started scolding. "Do you realize that if other people know about this you would lose your honor, reputation and status as a Senju? What's wrong with you? You're a medic for God's sake! You could have taken some sort of precaution! And with an Uchiha, mind you".

"A total disaster, I know", the young Senju replied and she jumped when the door slid open unceremoniously, revealing her brothers.

"I heard you shouting, Mito", Hashirama said with a worried frown. "Is everything okay?"

"Please come in", the woman said and she ignored the panic on Yukihime's face. "We all need to talk about something very important".

Yukihime pressed her hand just below her collarbone where she felt the cold Uchiha medallion against her warm skin. She could hear her heartbeats in her ears and black spots filled her vision briefly. She struggled to take a deep breath and she fisted her shaking hands on her lap.

"What's wrong, Yuki?" Tobirama asked when he noticed the girl fidgeting nervously.

She lowered her head when she felt fresh tears spilling from her eyes and in a graceful manner, she bowed down to the three of them with her forehead touching the back of her hands. "I have sullied our clan. It would be best if you would please disown me for my dishonorable actions. I am a disgrace to the Senju name", she replied in a small but steady voice.

"Hime! What are you going on about?" Hashirama exclaimed in surprise. That was definitely the last thing he expected to hear from his beloved sister. She was everything but not a disgrace!

"Madara", she started and a sob escaped her at the mention of her dead lover. She felt the tension rising but she continued, this time, her voice not as steady as before, "Madara and I spent some intimate… moments together and-"

She choked on the rest of the sentence and a gasp escaped her when she felt Tobirama's chakra crushing down on her. She tried pushing it off with her own but her fear made it useless. It was as if the weight of the world had been placed on top of her back and at the same time, she was drowning in the ocean. Her senses were dim and the ever-present panic made it difficult for her to get a hold of herself.

"-still our sister, do not forget that!" Hashirama's voice suddenly rung out and the burden was lifted from the small woman who coughed repeatedly and sat back on her heels.

"She ruined her own honor, brother!" Tobirama fought back angrily. "She ruined the prospects of her ever getting married! And to bear the child of Madara? That's unacceptable!"

The older man slumped in his seat and he looked at his sister in a confused state. "How could this have gotten so far?" he asked, but the question was more directed at himself.

"Ever since the beginning I had told you to put an end to whatever relationship they had", Tobirama scolded coldly. "You did not listen to me and now-"

"I am ashamed", Yukihime cut in with her head lowered. "However, I regret nothing. The child is mine and I'm not going to give up on this".

"It is not as easy as you make it to be", Hashirama said sternly.

"Yukihime", Mito called, overlooking her husband's words as a plan formed in her mind. "Hold your head high when talking about your child".

All three siblings were taken by surprise.

"Mito-Sama!" Tobirama complained. "You should not be encouraging her".

"Tobirama-Kun, whether we want it or not, this child will be born", she explained calmly. "It's going to be the first child coming from a Senju and an Uchiha. Instead of punishing Yu-Chan, we should focus on finding a way to protect the baby. You must have realized that it would grow into a powerful Ninja since it comes from two warriors, so, many people would prefer to kill it instead of letting it grow into a threat".

"It seems like you have a plan", Hashirama stated with a curious look.

Mito smiled and nodded. "I have an aunt who may or may not be severely ill and perhaps she might or might not require to have our best medic by her side until she is certain to be free from any sickness".

Yukihime teared up at the woman's grace.

"We can send her out for a year", Hashirama said as he caught on to the plan.

"And when she comes back with the child?" Tobirama questioned dryly.

"I would not be able to keep it", Yukihime understood with a tired nod. "I'm going to have to put it up for adoption as much as it grieves me to do so".

"I can make sure that the baby finds a good family", Hashirama assured her.

"You're going to have to leave as soon as possible, you know", Mito reminded her.

The younger girl nodded, "I can leave as soon as I let the hospital know and then engage someone as my replacement. In three days' time, give or take".

"Very well, then", Hashirama ended.

* * *

Indeed, in the next three days, Yukihime had informed the medics that she was going on a long time mission and she placed Kazuma in charge. That was easily taken care of and Yukihime headed home to gather the things she would need during her stay with the Uzumaki Clan.

She had just finished packing her bag when someone knocked at the door to her living quarters. Her head peeked out from the doorway of her bedroom and she tensed when she saw that it was Shun. The man was standing in the tiny living room with his arms crossed over his chest and a frown on his face. He looked up at her when she slowly entered the room, her hands deep in the pockets of her dress.

"Hi", she greeted with a hesitant smile. It was her last night in Konoha and her plans of revisiting the memories she made with Madara crumbled in the presence of the older man.

"Kazuma-Kun told me that you're going on a long-term mission", he stated.

"Yeah", she said with a stiff shrug. "Mito-Sama has an aunt who is severely ill and she requested that I go look after her until I'm sure that she's going to recover. That might take a few months, or even up to a year".

"And they couldn't choose someone other than you?"

Yukihime went cold. "I'm the best medic in Konoha, Shun. It's obvious that they would want me more than anyone else. What's got into you?" She snapped.

"It doesn't feel right!" He shot back with his arms wide open before they settled by his sides. "That's my instinct speaking but either you're hiding something from me or something is going to happen on this mission of yours. At least take some guards with you!"

"I can't hold up people who would be much more useful to the village", she said lowly. "Thank you for your concern but everything is fine and you know that I can protect myself quite well".

Shun hissed and he ran his hands through his hair, pushing it back from his face. He quickly stepped forward and gripped Yukihime's shoulders tightly. "Why don't you get it? Yuki, I care for you, damn it! It would break me if anything were to happen to you and I'm telling you that this mission doesn't feel right. Hell, you don't feel right!"

Yukihime stared at him, feeling shaken. "What do you mean?" She asked, knowing that she wouldn't like the answer to her question.

Shun relaxed his grip on her and he rubbed her arms gently, placing his forehead against hers. "You're so dense, you know that?" He mumbled with a chuckle.

"No, I'm not. I have a feeling I know what you're going to say but I need you to tell me what it is".

Oddly enough, her body relaxed completely when his arms encircled her waist and she placed her hands flat on his chest. She closed her eyes when she felt his heartbeat under her palm.

"Yukihime, I'm still in love with you".

Her dark eyes snapped open and she immediately pulled away from him. The dejected look on his face almost broke her but she held on to the last piece of her reason and she crossed her arms over chest, realizing that it was a defensive move. "You know I can't reciprocate your feelings", she said calmly. "You already know it's no use holding on to these feelings if I do not hold the same for you".

"I told you that I would wait for you", he replied stubbornly. "I'm still going to do that no matter how long it takes for you to say yes. I won't back down, Yuki. I came halfway, I need you to walk the rest towards me".

"I can't!" She rejected angrily. "This is not only about the two of us. Why don't you understand that?"

"I understand that Madara left you suddenly-"

"It's not about him either!" She snapped and tears involuntarily clouded her vision. "That... That imbecile left me with more than I can handle and if I could, I would've dragged his sorry self back here and then kill him again myself. My whole life has suddenly dropped into a black pitch and I'm trying to hold on to whatever comes my way so I don't do something stupid!"

"Then hold on to me!" He pressed and he fisted his hands so he would not try to wipe her tears away. Right now, physical contact would be the worst way to reason with her.

"There's not just me anymore! No man would be willing to accept a woman who's going to have another's child!"

Yukihime slapped her hand over her mouth when the truth spilled out and panic gnawed at her when Shun froze with a shocked look. She stepped away from him and her legs hit the couch, forcing her to sit. She carefully watched his expression fade into a blank look and he lowered his face in his hands. "That's why you're going away", he realized, his voice muffled. "You want to hide the child".

"I have no choice, Shun", she replied at once. "I cannot keep it once it comes into this world. If our enemies know about its existence, it would become a target for all since it would have both the Uchiha and the Senju bloods. On top of that, Madara and I are the parents –two of the best Ninja of Konoha- people would kill to have the child. Mito-Sama and Hashi-nii-San arranged it so that I would be safely hidden in the Uzumaki Clan and once I come back, the child would be put up for adoption".

"Dear Lord", Shun muttered and he lowered his hands, looking at her sharply. "And you thought that I would not accept you despite of all that".

Yukihime was baffled by his answer. She had expected him to run off but he was doing the exact opposite. "What?"

"Yukihime, you really don't see how much I love you", he said with a gentle smile. "I admit that your confession shocked me and here you readily assumed that my feelings for you are just a passing fancy. Yuki, I'm still going to wait for you. If you decide to keep the child, I would do everything I can to protect it from the world and be the best father ever. You still are you, and the baby is a piece of you. I want you to understand that I still want you in my life. Stop doubting my words".

"Shun, I really can't-"

She swallowed the rest of the sentence when he held a hand up.

"Think about it when you're away", he said with a sincere look. "Then you can answer a question of mine when you come back".

"What question?" Yukihime asked with a light frown.

"Will you marry me?"

* * *

 **Okay, so,**

 **1\. Baby on the way.**

 **2\. Yuki will be going off to the Uzumaki Clan.**

 **3\. Shun proposed.**

 **Okay...what o.O**

 **~IcedLady~**


	15. Chapter 15

**So this is going to be the last chapter, of course, there will be a bonus as sequel. I have been requested to add a few chapters for when the anime starts and all, and it might take some time since I'm busy with school (the main reason why I haven't been posting earlier) and I still haven't planned it out.**

 **Read on, my lovely people! :D**

* * *

"Congratulations, Yukihime-Chan", the plump middle-aged Yume said with a bright smile, holding a little bundle in her arms. "It's a boy".

Yukihime fell back against the pillow and a younger woman wiped the sweat on her face. "You did well", she said softly and she wiped the white haired woman's tears away.

"He's a tad bit small but I feel that he's going to grow up into a strong warrior", Yume said and her assistant propped Yukihime up before she gave her the baby.

Yukihime trembled when her son was placed in her arms and she chuckled through her sobs. A tuft of pitch black hair fell over the boy's forehead and his rich brown eyes were framed by thick and long eyelashes, just like hers. A tiny hand peeked out from under the cloth he was wrapped in and his fingers flexed as if trying to understand how his joints worked. His pink tongue poked out experimentally and Yukihime laughed at the silly face he made.

"God, you look so much like your father", she finally said and her heart tore for the nth time at Madara's thought. He would have been curious at the babe in her arms and he would've certainly held his son awkwardly. It would have been funny to see the powerful man unsure at how to hold something as fragile as a baby. "He would've loved you at first glance", she whispered and she placed a kiss on his forehead. Sobs racked her body again and she leaned into Yume when the woman wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders.

* * *

 **Three months later**

Yukihime ran through the trees with a four-men squad surrounding her for protection. They sneaked into Konohagakure no Sato in the middle of the night and the men escorted her to her home when her brothers, sister-in-law, Shun and the leader of the Hatake Clan were waiting for her.

"Hime!" Hashirama exclaimed when she entered the living room and he immediately wrapped her in a careful hug, seeing as there was something under her coat. "How are you?"

Her hair was longer, he noticed and there was a glow to her. She looked more mature than the last time he had seen her and her eyes were tired.

"I'm fine, thanks", she replied with a smile.

"Hatake Yuusei has agreed to take the child in and no information about this will be divulged", he continued and he stepped back in between his brother and wife.

The white haired woman looked at the Clan leader and she smiled softly. "Thank you for accepting", she said gracefully.

The man nodded at her with a gentle smile.

Mito went forward to hug Yukihime. "Everything went as planned?" She asked.

"All thanks to you", the young mother replied with a grateful look.

"Welcome home", Tobirama said, although hesitantly.

"I'm back", Yukihime said with a sheepish look and a careful shrug.

"Is the child fine?" Yuusei asked politely.

Yukihime unclipped her coat and it slid off her shoulders, revealing a squirming bundle in her arms. An unhappy squeal came from it and tiny arms emerged, pulling on Yukihime's hair. "Be patient", she said with a laugh and she slowly unwrapped the boy, holding him up for the others to see. "This is Kaito, my son".

"His eyes are like yours", Shun said quietly, secretly in awe of seeing a tiny infant.

"He's beautiful", Mito said and she took the child in her arms. She raised an amused eyebrow when he reached up to pull her hair out of the pins and his hands tangled in her red hair.

"He loves pulling at people's hair", Yukihime said with a smirk. "He left quite a few of the Uzumaki people with a headache". Her heart clenched when Shun held Kaito in his arms a bit awkwardly and she lowered her gaze when he looked straight at her.

Hashirama nearly wept at the child's resemblance to his former best friend and Tobirama was slightly in awe of the baby. "What about his eyes?" He asked, indirectly asking about the Sharingan.

"That possibility has been sealed off", Yukihime replied. "I'm not going to guarantee that it's going to hold on for the rest of his life because if Kaito becomes powerful enough, his chakra may very well tear the seal apart".

"Yukihime-San", Yuusei called and he held his hands behind his back. "I assure you that Kaito-Kun will be well looked after. I'll take care of the situation should he uncover his Sharingan. He's going to be protected at all times and I'll provide him with the love that he deserves. You are most welcome whenever you feel like visiting him".

"No, I won't", she replied with a shake of her head. "Seeing him again would break my heart and I do not want to risk anyone making the connection between him and me. I trust that you'll keep my baby safe".

"I will not let you down", he assured her and he smiled when the child was passed to him. "Welcome home, Hatake Kaito".

Yukihime stepped forward when her son looked towards her with what looked like worry. His lower lip jutted out and the beginning of a wail made itself known. "Don't cry, sweetheart", she purred and she held his outstretched hand, kissing his palm. "Be a good boy and grow up into a powerful Shinobi of Konoha. People are going to need you to protect them from harm, and to do that, you need to work hard. Fall in love with a woman who is strong enough to stand by your side no matter what, but you should stand up for her as well. I'll always be around to keep you safe and I'll always love you, Kaito".

She bit back a sob when Hatake Yuusei left with her baby and she took a deep breath, calming her nerves.

"Are you going to be okay?" Mito asked gently.

"Yeah", she replied with a curt nod. "I... I just need some time but I'll be fine".

The older woman nudged her husband and Tobirama, and the three of them wished her a good night before leaving Shun with her. Shun heaved a quiet sigh when Yukihime refused to look up at him. He could see that she was trying to hold her tears back but some still leaked from her eyes. "Come here", he said softly. Yukihime broke down and she stepped forward, letting the Kirisaki Clan leader hold her in his arms. Shun could not understand her incoherent mumbles but he comforted her all the same.

"I already miss him", she said as she pulled back slightly. "How am I going to be able to stay away from him for the rest of my life? God, I love him so much!"

"Go to sleep for now, Yuki", he whispered and then he led her towards her bedroom. "Tomorrow might be a better day".

* * *

 **And Senju Kaito takes up the name of the Hatake Clan. Next chapter will be set a few years after Kaito's birth.**

 **Hope to hear from you guys!**

 **~IcedLady~**


	16. Chapter 16 Final

**Here is the last chapter! I hope you all enjoy it, although some of you are going to kill me... Please spare me, I still have those additional chapters to write xD Oh, and concerning those chapters, I'll be putting them in a new story. So, follow me if you haven't, and you'll be alerted once I put it up.**

 **Now, a huge thanks to all of you sweet readers!**

 **Thanks to Arianna Le Fay, lizyeh2000, TrinityStarFire, Avesolaris, Photography Bird, Kalieket, Ninja99, To'M'L Kuran, , Allhailthesith, AngelPhoenix12, KHandFF7fanforever, tsuri182718 for the reviews, and all those who added this story as a favorite and those who followed it as well.**

 **A special thanks to Arianna Le Fay, the one who helped me build this story. Actually, it was her idea to start it all and Yukihime and Kaito belong to her.**

 **Read on!**

* * *

The white haired Kunoichi smiled at her brothers and she left the Hokage's office with a thankful bow. She bought some groceries and left them home before she went to the Academy where all mothers were waiting for their children to come out. A bell rang and a crowd of youngsters poured out of the school with smiles on their faces, some laughing and others chattering excitedly.

A grin settled on her face when a white haired seven years old boy came out silently, his bright green eyes scanning the crowd. When his eyes caught hers, a lopsided grin appeared on his small face and Yukihime was amused to find girls swooning over him.

"Hey there!" She greeted with a hand raised as salute. "How was your day?"

"Easy, as usual", he replied with a twinkle in his eyes.

"And the test?"

"I aced it!"

"That's my boy", she said proudly and they headed to the nursery so she could pick up her two years old son, Yuu.

The three of them passed a group of rookie Shinobi and right in front was Hatake Kaito leading his friends. Yukihime paused to look at him and she smiled when their eyes locked. The ten years old boy mumbled a few things to his friends before he jogged towards her.

"Yukihime-Sama, it's nice to see you", he greeted politely and ruffled Shuichi's mop of silvery white hair.

"How are you, Kaito?" she asked with a soft smile.

"I'm fine, thanks", he replied with a curt nod. "I just wanted to thank you for getting us out of that mess the other day".

Yukihime tilted her head, clearly remembering the time when she was called as reinforcement to help the youngsters defeat the rogue nins who had ambushed them not too far from the village. "I have to say that my presence served to scare the enemies", she said with a chuckle. "You did all the work".

"Well, I hope that I can someday be as powerful as you are", Kaito said with a look that immediately reminded Yukihime of Madara.

"You'll surpass me, Kaito", she ended with a warm smile and they parted ways.

"How was your mission?" Shuichi asked when he noticed that his mother was still in full gear.

"Nothing that we couldn't handle", she replied thoughtfully and then grimaced. "Except for the fact then I very nearly lost my arm".

"That's so cool!"

"You're turning to be more and more like your father", she mumbled, giving the boy a curious but loving look.

* * *

Later that day, Yukihime went on the rooftop after putting the two boys to bed. The night was cold but she stood there in a dress which reached down to her knees. Her long silvery white hair was left loose and she kept her gaze to the village spread out in front of her. She refused to look at the moon, knowing that her heart would grieve for the one she lost ten years ago.

A smile came on her face when a familiar presence entered her house and the person came up, standing behind her.

"You're early", she said and leaned back into the warm body when arms wrapped around her protectively.

"We took down the base in less time than expected", Shun said and he kissed the side of her neck, resting his head on her shoulder. "What about your mission?"

"It was a success. It was more like a battle of wits and speed but we did it", she replied with a chuckle.

"And the boys?"

"Shuichi did very well in his test today", she said with a small nod. "As for Yuu, he caused a huge mess, as usual. But I have to say that he executes the hand seals as perfectly as any grown Ninja".

Shun hummed and he traced light circles over her hip with his thumb.

"I saw Kaito".

"And your thoughts?" he asked softly.

"He looks like a smaller version of Madara but with my eyes", Yukihime started and she turned around in his arms. "Shun, he has the same look that Madara did. It makes me wonder why people do not see the resemblance. His hair is just as black and he ties it in a ponytail just like Izuna used to do. He has the Uchiha look and yet no one makes any remark. The way he holds himself, fights, leads his comrades into a battle. Everything about him screams Uchiha!"

"Kaito made a name for himself at such a young age", Shun replied, feeling proud of the young boy. "His mannerism may tip towards the Uchiha but the way he talks is just like Hatake Yuusei and this is what diverts people's attention away from his body language. That old man knew that Kaito would grow up like his father and he made sure that the boy would have a Hatake bone in him to cover for the rest. Though I have to say that kid has your bad-temper".

"Oh come on, he's not as bad as me", Yukihime said with the hint of a smile. "I still feel like taking him in my arms and telling him how much I love him".

"I know, sweet love".

"I retired today", she told him and he pulled back in surprise. "I'm still going to be the head-nurse but I'm not going back on the battlefield".

"If it makes you happy, then I'm happy for you too", he said with a sweet grin and he leant down to kiss her on her diamond seal.

"It's unfair to you, yet you continue to love me unconditionally", she said with a sad smile. "I never gave you enough but you still put me ahead of everything".

"Sweetheart, you gave me a lot more than I asked for", he comforted her sincerely. "I only asked for your hand in marriage and you made the house I built into a home, you gave me two beautiful and healthy sons, and right now, my terrific wife is melting in my arms. I want nothing more".

He leant his forehead against hers and continued, "Your heart may not be mine but I know that somewhere in there, you do love me, just like I love you".

"You're still a ridiculously sweet romantic", she said with a chuckle.

A relieved sigh escaped her when he hugged her tightly.

* * *

Somewhere far from Konoha, a small crystal figurine stood on an old chair proudly. The owner smiled in remembrance and his heart called for the one he still loved deeply, and fiercely.


End file.
